Call the Midwife has revealed that two of its characters will be leaving Poplar for an excursion on the Sussex coast in an episode of the upcoming 13th season.
Taking to Instagram, the show shared a behind-the-scenes snap from filming that showed Linda Bassett and Georgie Glen, who play Nurse Crane and Miss Higgins, standing on the beach alongside a pregnant mother.
"LATEST: Nonnatuns brave the British seaside!" the caption began.
"What do we have here?? Have Nurse Crane and Miss Higgins abandoned Poplar for the delights of the English Riviera? And who is that young mother-to-be that they're attending to....?
"Last week our team took a special excursion away from the smoke-filled streets of the Sixties East End to film in the fresh coastal air of Sussex.
© Call the Midwife/Instagram"The weather was....well, as you'd expect from England in September - sunny, rainy, stormy, bright, cold and warm all in one day!!!! But our intrepid crew made the best of it, and much fun was had by all!"
The caption also provided an update on the status of production, revealing that the cast only has three more episodes to film.
"This sequence was for episode 5 of season 13.... which means that we're racing on with our filming for the next series! Just three more eps to film after this one.
© Instagram"The Autumn winds were blowing on the beach, and the light was closing in much earlier - which told us that it wouldn't be too long to wait now until our brand new Christmas episode!!"
The show will be returning to our screens in just a few month's time in the annual Christmas special, which will be followed by a new season in 2024.
If previous episodes are anything to go by, series 13 should land on BBC One sometime in January.
© Olly CourtenayThe update comes just weeks after it was rumoured that Olly Rix, who plays Matthew Aylward, has reportedly been written out of scripts and is leaving the drama.
Neither Olly nor bosses on the show have spoken out publicly about the reports. HELLO! has reached out to the actor's representatives and the BBC for comment.
MORE: Call the Midwife actress to appear in new Channel 4 drama with A-List stars
READ: 10 Call the Midwife stars who left the show and why
If Olly does depart the drama, he'll be the second cast member to have left this year. Leonie Elliott left fans devastated when she revealed she would be stepping down from her role as Nurse Lucille Anderson after six years.
© Matt TowersTaking to Instagram back in February, the actress shared her appreciation for the cast and crew as well as the show's fans.
"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," she wrote.
"Having spent 6 years on a truly wonderful show, with a fantastic team I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Lucille. I feel honoured to have represented the pioneering Windrush generation and their incredible impact on British society."
© Ray BurmistonLeonie continued: "I would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to the brilliant cast and our uber-talented creative team: Heidi Thomas, Pippa Harris, and Annie Tricklebank. Thank you again for all your support, it is hugely appreciated. Super excited for what's coming next! Xxx."
