Call The Midwife’s Leonie Elliott reveals she ‘fact-checks the scripts’ with her Jamaican grandparents as she talks about playing the show’s first Caribbean medic
She is best known for her role as Lucille Anderson in BBC’s Call The Midwife.
And Leonie Elliott speaks about playing the show’s first Caribbean midwife on The Graham Norton Show, which is set to air on Friday.
The actress, 32, tells the host she gets her Jamaican grandparents to fact-check the script, and after he’s read it her grandfather: ‘lets me know if things would have happened in certain ways or not’.
Actress: Leonie Elliott speaks about playing the show’s first Caribbean midwife on BBC’s Call The Midwife on The Graham Norton Show, which is set to air on Friday
In January 2018, Leonie made her debut in the hit BBC series as Jamaican nurse Lucille.
Her character was based on the many Caribbean nurses who moved to the UK to assist the growing demand of the NHS in the 1960s.
Leonie, who looks stunning in a black sequin minidress and green satin heels, tells Graham: ‘My grandparents are from Jamaica so I fact-checked the scripts with them and my granddad lets me know if things would have happened in certain ways or not.
‘They watch it and love it but take it all in their stride.’
Talented: The actress is best known for her role as Lucille Anderson in the hit BBC series
Family: Leonie tells the host she gets her Jamaican grandparents to fact check the script, and after he’s read it her grandfather: ‘lets me know if things would have happened in certain ways’
Glamorous: Leonie looks stunning in a black sequin minidress
Leonie was born in Brent. Her family emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s; and like her character on Call The Midwife, her aunt moved to England to train as a nurse.
Of working with Miriam Margolyes, she says: ‘She is a very interesting person – if you have a story, she’ll always trump it. She’s an amazing actress and a great storyteller.’
Call The Midwife is one of the BBC’s most popular shows, attracting millions of viewers with every series.
More to come: Call The Midwife is one of the BBC’s most popular shows, attracting millions of viewers with every series (Jennifer pictured as Valerie, Helen as Trixie and Leonie as Lucille)
The drama, about East End nurses in the 50’s and 60’s, stars Jennifer Kirby, Helen George, Leonie Elliot, Laura Main and Jenny Agutter, as well as Stephen McGann, 56, (Doctor Turner), whom creator Heidi Thomas is married to.
Last summer, Heidi was forced to hit back at claims she had bowed out from the much-loved BBC show.
It was reported that the writer quit the long-running drama so she could concentrate on other projects because the show was said to have left her with no time.
Heidi told MailOnline: ‘Reports that I am leaving Call The Midwife are absolute nonsense.
‘I am currently happily working on Series 9, and will continue with my role until the show itself comes to an end.
‘Series 10 and 11 have already been commissioned by the BBC, meaning we will be on air until at least 2022.’
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday at 10.45pm. It is also available on BBC iPlayer.
Plot: Last summer, creator Heidi Thomas was forced to hit back at claims she had bowed out from the much-loved BBC show. Pictured with husband Stephen McGann, 56, (Doctor Turner)