Fans are wondering why Charlotte Ritchie’s Barbara Gilbert left Call the Midwife. Ritchie’s Gilbert, introduced in Season 4, became a prominent staple of the series until Season 7, winning the love of fans and viewers via her warm and compassionate personality. As such, her departure left fans shocked and saddened.
Curious about why Charlotte Richie’s Barbara Gilbert left the series? Here is your answer.
Why did Charlotte Ritchie’s Barbara Gilbert leave Call the Midwife?
Charlotte Ritchie’s Barbara Gilbert left Call the Midwife as Ritchie wished to try new acting opportunities and believed it was time to end her story.
Her character was well written off, and her departure left viewers in tears. Barbara Gilbert sadly passed away at the end of Season 7 after contracting septicemia, also known as sepsis.
“They ask you to commit quite early on in the year to the show,” she told Radiotimes. “And I always wanted to do it, but I also felt that I’d done three different series for the last five years, and thought it might be good to slightly try and branch out and try something new.”
Here, she also confirmed that she played a role in killing off Barbara rather than leaving her alive, as it was her choice to leave and that she wished to “properly shut the door,” instead of leaving it open for a character return. Ritchie also opined that showrunner and screenwriter Heidi Thomas thought the same thing. However, Ritchie also acknowledged that leaving the character alive for potential future appearances would have been a great idea.
Since leaving the beloved series, Charlotte Ritchie has continued to make waves in other popular projects. She’s appeared in the hit series Ghosts, You, and Feel Good, further solidifying her acting career.
The first 13 seasons of Call the Midwife are currently streaming on Netflix in the United States and Sky in the United Kingdom.