In a romance that could have been taken from the show's script, Call The Midwife actor Stephen McGann has revealed how he fell 'madly in love' with the creator Heidi Thomas after a chance meeting over 30 years ago.
Former Emmerdale star Stephen was right at the thick of the action as the latest series of the hit BBC drama hurtled to a dramatic conclusion quite literally last weekend, when a train carrying his character Doctor Turner and Sister Julienne, played by Jenny Agutter, was involved in a horrifying crash.
Its driver suffered a medical emergency at the wheel, leading to the train speeding out of control and colliding another service.
Things didn't look good for the Doctor or the Sister, with millions of viewers concerned for both of their fates at different points of Sunday's series finale.
READ MORE: Call The Midwife pays tribute to crew member as credits roll on series finale
Thankfully for the characters and to the relief of Call The Midwife fans, both survived and lived to the end credits of another successful series.
There was further good news for viewers of the smash hit drama when it was confirmed by the show and Heidi herself that it will be back for at least another two series.
Heidi and Stephen first met in the mid-80s, with Stephen telling The Times that after speaking to Heidi, who was a young scriptwriter at the time, he fell "madly in love."
He said: "We started chatting about the character and by the time I left the room I was madly in love."
Stephen explained that pair lost touch after their first meeting but, on them being reacquainted in Liverpool, Stephen realised she was truly the one for him and the couple are still together 31 years later.
He also admitted that years later they found themselves talking about what "an idiotic theory," love at first sight was, only to realise that's exactly what happened to them.
Speaking about Call The Midwife's future, Heidi said: "It's an incredible privilege to be able to look back on a decade of Call The Midwife, and yet know that our journey is still very far from over."
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