‘Call the Midwife’: Has Nurse Lucille Robinson (Leonie Elliott) Left the Show?
Have Call the Midwife fans seen the last of Lucille Robinson? The dedicated nurse, who is played by Leonie Elliott, left London for Jamaica in the most recent episode of the show, which aired on March 26 on PBS. Here’s what we know about whether Nurse Robinson will be returning to Nonnatus House in the future or if she’s left Call the Midwife for good.
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Call the Midwife Season 12.]
What happened to Nurse Lucille Robinson on ‘Call the Midwife’?
Lucille has been having a difficult time in recent episodes of Call the Midwife. The newlywed nurse experienced a miscarriage in season 11 and has been unable to get pregnant again. That, combined with severe homesickness, led her to fall into a serious depression. Lucille, who is from Jamaica, was also deeply troubled by rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Britain, as seen in the Call the Midwife Season 12 premiere.
By episode 2, Lucille was in crisis. Her growing depression was making it difficult for her to do her job. She even considered suicide. Her husband, Cyril (Zephryn Taitte), and her friend Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett), were worried about her mental health. Eventually, Lucille reached out to Dr. Turner (Stephen McGann) for support. He diagnosed her as having a nervous breakdown and prescribed valium. Meanwhile, Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) granted her sick leave. And Cyril stepped up and bought her a ticket home to Jamaica so she could recuperate with the help of her family.
Leonie Elliott confirms she’s left ‘Call the Midwife’ for good
At the end of episode 2, Lucille said a tearful goodbye to Nurse Crane and slipped off to the airport with her husband.
“The sooner you get to Jamaica, the sooner you’ll be coming back,” Cyril said shortly before the credits rolled.
But will Lucille really be returning to London? Or is her move home to Jamaica permanent? Sadly, for Call the Midwife fans who’ve come to love the character, it appears to be the latter. Elliott has confirmed that Nurse Robinson won’t be returning to Call the Midwife.
“Thank you for embracing Lucille and rocking with me on this journey,” she wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Feb. 28. “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. I feel honored to have represented the pioneer Windrush generation and their incredible impact on British society,” she added. (“Windrush generation” refers to those who were part of a wave of immigration from Caribbean countries to the U.K. in the mid-20th century.)
Has Cyril also left ‘Call the Midwife’?
Lucille’s last appearance in Call the Midwife was in season 12’s second episode. Later in the season, it’s revealed that she’s taken a job at a hospital in Jamaica. Cyril goes to visit her there, but he ultimately returns to London.
With his on-screen wife having left the show, does that mean Taitte is also on his way out? For now, it sounds like the actor is likely to return for season 13.
“Cyril is very much around at the moment,” Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas told Radio Times.
With Lucille an ocean away, it’s not clear what the future holds for her husband. It’s possible that he’ll eventually decide to join her in Jamaica. Or, the pressures of a long-distance marriage may prove too much, leading to a split. Fans will simply have to wait and see how the story unfolds.
Call the Midwife airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS. All Call the Midwife Season 12 episodes are currently available to stream on PBS Passport.
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