The Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2023 welcomes a Corrie villain to the cast, as well as a Goodness Gracious Me favourite.
In the festive episode, Sister Monica Joan is convinced this could be her final yuletide… Well, there have been a few near misses of late. As the Apollo 8 crew close in on their lunar orbit mission, she believes she won’t live to see man walk on the moon…
The Nonnatus family, including Trixie’s brother Geoffrey, decide something must be done to lighten her state of mind. Meanwhile, Cyril intervenes when he discovers a lost soul living alone in a dilapidated basement flat, and Nurse Crane tries to make it home in time for Christmas despite a treacherously heavy snowfall…
Amongst the cast of returning faces in the Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2023, there are a couple of guest stars you’ll recognise, too. Here’s everything you need to know.
Call the Midwife Christmas 2023 cast: Christopher Harper plays Geoffrey Franklin
Actor Christopher Harper guest stars in the festive edition of Call the Midwife. He returns as Geoffrey Franklin, Trixie Franklin’s brother. He first appeared in the series 12 finale of the show, when Trixie got married.
Of course, soap fans will know Christopher best for portraying villainous Nathan Curtis in ITV’s Coronation Street. He played the role from 2016 to 2018.
Nathan Curtis was the sinister and exploitative ex-fiancé of Bethany Platt. The manager of Supreme Tanning, he was part of a gang who were involved in grooming young girls into prostitution.
Police eventually arrested Nathan, and Bethany testified against him. A jury found him guilty of rape. He is currently languishing in hail where he belongs!
London-born Christopher, 46, is also known for Clifford Last, son of Victoria Wood‘s character Nella Last, in the multiple BAFTA award-winning ITV film Housewife, 49.
Other notable roles include Michael Cartwright in Holby City, and Cecil Beaton in Upstairs Downstairs. He’s been in several films, including Birdsong, Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon, and First Do No Harm.
Actor Kulvinder Ghir portrays Kulvir Sharma
Comedian and actor Kulvinder Ghir, 58, appears in two of the biggest Christmas episodes in 2023. First he appears in the Beyond Paradise Christmas Special on Christmas Eve, and then he pops up in the Christmas Day special of Call the Midwife too!
Kenya-born Kulvinder is probably best known as one of the cast members in sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. He performed alongside Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia from 1998 to 2015. Those with a very good memory might even remember him from one of his earliest roles, playing Davy Malik in the TV series Howard’s Way.
Film fans will also recognise him from playing Aslam in the Yorkshire-based 1987 film Rita, Sue and Bob Too!, and Teetu in Bend it Like Beckham.
Kulvinder has been in dozens of TV shows, including A Sense of Guilt, Waterfront Beat, The Real McCoy, At Home with the Braithwaites, and Holby City, where he played Anil Bannerjee. Other notable roles include Ramesh Popat in My Life as a Popat, Mohammed Khan in Lunch Monkeys, and Mool Chand in Beecham House.
Still Open all Hours fans will know him for playing Cyril from 2013 to 2019 in the BBC One show.
More recently, he’s played Poly Verisof in Foundation, Rakesh Kapoor in Suspicion, and General Toda Rai in Black Narcissus. He voices dozens of animated characters in TV and film, including Sanjay in The Queen’s Corgi, Anish Bose in Bob the Builder, and various characters in Hilda.
Who else stars in the cast of Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2023?
Of course, the cast of the Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2023 includes all the usual Sunday night favourites. These include Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, and Helen George as Nurse Trixie Franklin.
Linda Bassett portrays Nurse Phyllis Crane, while Judy Parfitt stars as Sister Monica Joan. Meanwhile, Laura Main is Nurse Shelagh Turner, Leonie Elliott stars as Nurse Lucille Anderson, Stephen McGann portrays Dr Patrick Turner, and Cliff Parisi plays Fred Buckle.
Annabelle Apsion stars as Violet Buckle, Ella Bruccoleri is Sister Frances, and Fenella Woolgar stars as Sister Hilda. Megan Cusack returns as Nurse Nancy Corrigan, and Georgie Glen plays Miss Millicent Higgins.
Zephryn Taitte stars as Cyril Robinson, Olly Rix stars as Matthew Aylward, Max Macmillan plays Timothy Turner, and Alice Brown plays Angela Turner.
Legendary actress Vanessa Redgrave provides the voice of mature Jennifer Worth. Elsewhere, Edward Shaw plays Teddy Turner, and Luke Lowry stars as Peter Young.
Nicholas Pritchard is Mr Harper, and Zoe Aldrich portrays Sister Edwards.
Colette Corrigan is Francesca Fullilove, April Rae Hoang stars as May Tang, Rebecca Gethings is Sister Veronica, and Archie Callaghan is Jonty Aylward.
Daniel Laurie returns as Reggie Jackson, too, while newcomer Beth Dillon guests as pregnant Toni Douglas. Up until this point, she’s only played Kaylee in one episode of the TV series Four Weddings and a Funeral. She also played Siouxsie Sioux in the series Pistol.
Read more: Call The Midwife cast ‘stunned and upset’ as key character ‘written out’
Watch the Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2023 on Christmas Day at 8.15pm on BBC One.
Do you watch the Christmas Special of Call the Midwife every year? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.