Call the Midwife fans will be relieved that four show favourites will return for series 13 despite storylines suggesting they might leave.
Helen George, Olly Rix, Judy Parfitt and Zephryn Taitte will be back as Trixie, Matthew, Monica Joan and Cyril.
Fans fretted Trixie and Matthew would quit East London’s Poplar after tying the knot in the season finale.
They have also been agonising over whether Sister Monica Joan will pull through after becoming ill with hepatitis, and what effect his wife’s absence would have on engineer Cyril.
But all are due to start filming again this spring. In the final episode of series 12, which airs this Sunday, viewers will see Cyril play a crucial role in securing the future of nursing convent Nonnatus House for several years to come.
They will also learn that Sister Monica Joan has fought off her infection.
After the penultimate episode ended with her fighting for her life, fans were furious that a film awards ceremony delayed the series finale by a week.
One insisted: “Cancel the BAFTAs!
“I can’t wait for two weeks to find out how Sister Monica Joan is!”
One source said: “There are a lot of answers coming along in the final episode. Trixie and Matthew’s wedding plans don’t run smoothly, Sister Monica Joan gets a glint in her eye and Cyril has an important job to carry out.”
Some viewers also feared the Aylwards would disappear for a life of domestic bliss. But the couple are expected to continue to work and live in Poplar, along with Matthew’s son Jonty.
Confirming that Matthew and Trixie would return for series 13, actor Olly said the newlyweds were not the types to skip off into the sunset.
He said: “Their focus is on changing things around them. It doesn’t seem to be remotely in their characters to just hang that all up now and enjoy the quiet life. That’s not who they are.
“There’s no sense that he’s wanting to extricate himself or her from that.
“His money is something that facilitates that but, money or not, that’s where his heart is.”
Helen, 38, said: “They’ve got so much work to do there and they’re both very driven, so I can’t see them moving away.”
The actress said that she was delighted to discover the series had been ordered for another two runs, taking the action to 1971 for series 15.
Olly, 33, said he was looking forward to reaching the 1970s, but drew the line at wearing flares.
He said: “That’s never going to happen. I want to stay in a suit.”
