If you are a fan of The A Word, you might be expecting Christopher Eccleston to reprise his role as Maurice in the new spin-off show Ralph & Katie.
However, sadly the actor is NOT appearing in Ralph & Katie.
But why not?
We’ve got your answers here!
Why is Christopher Eccleston not in Ralph & Katie?
Christopher Eccleston previously played Maurice, Joe’s grandfather, in the first three series of The A Word.
His character was in an on-off-on-again relationship with Louise Wilson, Ralph’s mother.
While Pooky Quesnel will reprise her role as Louise in Ralph & Katie, her onscreen boyfriend won’t return.
Christopher Eccleston previously said he would love to reprise his role in future series of The A Word, so why isn’t he appearing in Ralph & Katie?
A representative for the BBC One spin-off told us: “Christopher’s dates didn’t work with the Ralph & Katie schedule.”
What a shame!
Christopher Eccleston recently starred as Fagin in the CBBC series Dodger.
Three new episodes of the show including a Christmas special will air later this year.
It looks like production for Dodger and Ralph & Katie took place at the same time, so that’s probably what Christopher was filming instead.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Louise and Maurice’s relationship will continue in Ralph & Katie.
Craig Cash is joining the cast as Brian, Ralph and Katie’s neighbour.
And it looks like romance may well blossom between Louise and Brian.
Maurice and Louise on The A Word – a recap
At the end of series three, Louise suffered from empty nest syndrome when Ralph (Leon Harrop) married his wife Katie (Sarah Gordy) and finally moved out.
This pushed Maurice to finally take a big step in their relationship, which has had quite a few ups and downs in the three seasons of the show!
As Louise held Rebecca’s newborn baby, Maurice turned to her and said: “Don’t make a fuss, but will you marry me?”
And Eddie spoke for all of us when he told Louise to please accept the proposal!
But, we never got to see Louise’s answer.
A closing montage of the show saw a ring on Louise’s finger so we assumed they finally DID get engaged.
Will we ever find out what happened to Louise and Maurice after the marriage proposal?
Read more: Ralph & Katie: The A Word spin-off start date, cast, episodes and trailer
Ralph & Katie: What is Christopher Eccleston in next?
Christopher Eccleston was filming another project at the same time as Ralph & Katie filmed earlier this year.
But what was it?
As well as his portrayal of legendary villain Fagin in Dodger, he’s also got another exciting project lined up.
Christopher Eccleston is next set to star in the Disney+ film Young Woman and the Sea.
It’s a new period drama film which also stars Daisy Ridley and Stephen Graham (does the man never sleep?).
The film tells the true story of Trudy Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.
Details about Christopher’s role in the movie are still under wraps, but it already sounds like a great watch.
In 2023, he will star in another film, A God Amongst Men.
It is based on the true story of Mohammed Ali’s visit to Tyneside in 1977.
While it’s disappointing that we won’t see Christopher Eccleston in The A Word spin-off just yet, it sounds like he has some great films coming up…
Ralph & Katie begins on Wednesday October 05 at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes will also be available on iPlayer after airing.
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