Sister Hilda is back for the season 14 finale (Image: BBC)
BBC One’s Call the Midwife is set to air its final episode of season 14, featuring Sister Catherine on the cusp of taking her vows and officially joining the Order, with Sister Hilda offering her support. Ahead of the episode, the released a couple of images showcasing actress Fenella Woolgar reprising her role as Sister Hilda.
One image captures Sister Hilda admiring some ceremonial dresses, while another shows her in church, surrounded by friends including Sister Veronica, played by Rebecca Gethings. Sister Hilda first appeared in the series during the 2018 Christmas special.
Having served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during the war and worked as a nurse, she arrived at Nonnatus House with a wealth of experience. She was introduced alongside Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri) as replacements for Sister Winifred (Victoria Yeates) and Sister Mary Cynthia (Bryony Hannah).
Her strong-willed personality sometimes led to clashes with other characters, but she remained an enthusiastic team member. Here’s everything you need to know about why she left the series.
Fenella Woolgar plays Sister Hilda (Image: WIRE IMAGE)
Sister Hilda exited Call the Midwife in season 11 when, following the train crash events, she was dispatched to the Mother House. While there, Mother Mildred decided that Nonnatus House could function without her, leading Sister Hilda to continue her midwifery work in Chichester.
Her sudden departure from Call the Midwife created a gap that left Sister Frances shouldering extra duties, culminating in a mishap where she broke her shoulder after tumbling from her bike during a delivery, prompting her too to head back to the Mother House.
At the time of their joint exit, a source shared with The Mirror: “Ella and Fenella are off doing other things now – but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back again at some point. They’ll both be missed.”
The show’s viewers were less than pleased with how her character was written out, voicing their frustrations on social media platforms like . User TheAlphaKiller17 expressed dismay, commenting: “What the hell were they doing with her exit?! They set it up in the dumbest way and wasted the natural exit in the plot.”
Don’t miss… [EXPLAINER]
Sister Hilda in the season 14 finale of Call the Midwife (Image: BBC)
“Maybe this was just me, but when Sister Hilda and Nancy [Corrigan] were talking about which one of them should go on the train, I thought for sure that was setting up a ‘what if’ scenario.”
They continued: “I thought Nancy would either be killed or seriously injured, and Hilda would have a guilt scene where she talked about how she almost went instead and it should have been her, then Sister Julienne would say something beautifully heartwarming while making elegant hand gestures. That didn’t happen.
“But then they wrote Hilda off in the next freaking episode; why didn’t they have that exact same dialogue but with the roles switched and then kill Hilda in the train crash? I don’t understand why she disappeared with zero warning or why they set up that scene then didn’t use it.”
Following her tenure on Call the Midwife, the actress has since showcased her talents in the film The Choral and secured lead roles in The Buccaneers and The Deal.
Call the Midwife is available to watch on iPlayer