EastEnders fans amazed as Call The Midwife star joins soap in very different role
She earned legions of fans for her role as Lucille in Call The Midwife, but after leaving our screens in 2023, Leonie Elliott hadn't been seen until she arrived in EastEnders.
Fans recognised the Call The Midwife star (Image: PA)
EastEnders fans recognised a familiar face this week when Call The Midwife star Leonie Elliott has joined Albert Square, after leaving the popular drama in 2023.
She starred as Lucille from 2018, but disappeared from our screens, but has arrived in EastEnders playing the role of an undercover journalist. Leonie shared a sweet snap on Instagram to celebrate her role in the show, posing with Patsy Palmer – who will soon be going on Celebrity Big Brother.
She captioned the pic with the iconic EastEnders soundtrack: “DOOF doof doof… Back on your screens this week and next week on EastEnders! Loved working with the brilliant Patsy Palmer, Happy 40th EastEnders!”
Leonie shared a snap with Patsy Palmer to celebrate her joining the cast (Image: @msleonieelliott/Instagram)
Leonie’s journalist character Charlotte has befriended Bianca while she’s searching for a new story. Back when she left Call the Midwife, she thanked fans saying: “Thank you all for embracing Lucille and rocking with me on this journey, it is with a heart full of love and appreciation that I embark on pastures new.
“Having spent six years on a truly wonderful show, with a fantastic team, I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Lucille.” She continued: “I feel honoured to have represented the pioneering Windrush generation and their incredible impact on British society.
“I would like to say a massive thank you to the brilliant cast and our über talented creative team: Heidi Thomas, Pippa Harris and Annie Triclebank.” She added: “Thank you again for all your support, it is hugely appreciated.”
Fans recognised Leonie from her role in Call The Midwife(Image: BBC / Neal Street Productions / Matt Towers)
“Super excited for what’s coming next!” and it seems that EastEnders was the big “next”. She told RadioTimes that “it would be lovely” to return to Call The Midwife, so it seems she would never say never to a return to the much-loved show.
She added she would be very open if asked to “pop up and see what’s happening with Lucille in Jamaica”. Leonie’s EastEnders story started when Bianca and Sonia went out for lunch, where they bumped into Charlotte.
Viewers soon realised all was not what it seems, as Charlotte made a mysterious phone call. It was revealed she’s being sly, and hoping to persuade Bianca to appear on her show to get the inside gossip and gory details about what happened during her traumatic hostage ordeal at the hands of the murderous Reiss Colwell.
Fans were sharing their reactions as they recognised where they knew Leonie from. “So who is the newcomer then?” asked one confused viewer.
Another added: “Definitely not who she says she is. Didn’t recognise her at first, she played Lucile in Call the Midwife!” as they put the pieces together.Someone else who recognised where she knew her from wrote: “She used to be on call the midwife,” while another added “I thought it was her!”
