Are Jack Ashton, Charlotte Ritchie leaving Call the Midwife after Christmas Special?

Is Jack Ashton leaving Call the Midwife at the conclusion of the Christmas Special? There were certainly questions during the episode that probably made you wonder.

At one point during the early portion of the Christmas Special, Ashton’s character of Tom found himself being potentially sent off to another parish. He seemed somewhat befuddled by the news, but it was something that he was going to have to address over the course of the special. That was something that we were very interesting to learn more about just because of the fact that Call the Midwife is a show with such a history of departures. Just look at Jessica Raine early on in the series, or following that such people as Miranda Hart or Emerald Fennell. This is a series about the institution of Nonnatus House and the region of Poplar more so than any one character.

Because of all of that, there was a real reason for some significant fear that we were nearing the end of the road for the Tom character. That fear proved true when he decided to accept the Birmingham position. As a result of that, he and Barbara had to plan for what the future would be.

Here’s the good news — there is no evidence that came through this story that suggested that Ashton would be leaving the show for good. After all, the gig in Birmingham seems to only be lasting for six months, and then after that he can find his way back to Poplar. He’s doing what he can to help the people who, in turn, very much need his help.

One of the real surprises was that, in the end, Barbara (Charlotte Ritchie) decided to also join Tom on his trip. As for whether or not these characters are gone from the seventh season of the show, much of that is going to depend heavily on whether or not there is a substantial time jump in between the end of the Christmas Special and the start of season 7. (Check out some premiere-date speculation over here.)

Update: We do have confirmation now that Ritchie and Ashton will return. Check that out over at the link here.

What do you think about the Call the Midwife storyline for the Tom character? Be sure to share now in the comments below!

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