Call the Midwife shared a behind-the-scenes from their Christmas special. One long-time member of the cast and former soap star had a hilarious costume mishap during filming.
Call the Midwife posted the photo to their Instagram page. They included in the lengthy caption: “Behind the scenes on the Call the Midwife Christmas Special: All hail Santa Fred!”
They recently announced filming for series 12 has finished and fans can’t wait for the show’s return. Every year, the BBC drama’s festive special is just as highly anticipated and this year it airs on Christmas Day but it was certainly filmed in very different weather conditions.
In the behind-the-scenes snap, beloved character Fred Buckle, played by Cliff Parisi, is wearing a Father Christmas costume beside a Christmas tree. It’s an absolute Call the Midwife tradition that the Nonnatus House handyman dresses up as Santa each year in the East End.
However, the show revealed that due to a very hot summer, it wasn’t quite as easy for Cliff this year as the costume left him very hot and in certain areas too. The caption reads: “Behind the scenes on the Call the Midwife Christmas Special: All hail Santa Fred! It’s another Christmas at Nonnatus House and, in honoured tradition, our lovely Cliff Parisi (Fred Buckle) is once more called upon to undertake the noble task of representing the North Pole’s most famous resident!!
“The forthcoming Christmas Special is our ELEVENTH seasonal episode(!) – and our dear Cliff has been a stalwart Santa in every one of them xx His portrayal has now become embedded in the nature of Nonnatus yuletide – although one must spare a thought for the strains of his onerous task… The heat!! As you may be aware, Call the Midwife films its Christmas Special episode in the Spring/Summer – and almost invariably we find we’re filming in a mini heatwave!!
“Poor Cliff therefore braves not only chimneys, reindeer and sleighs, but also perspiration in all of those private Santa places!! Yet his good humour never fails us – and without his constant presence it really wouldn’t be Christmas in Poplar at all xxxxx This year, we’ll discover that Fred has concerns about the clothes he wears that go far beyond his Santa costume… Call the Midwife returns with a new Christmas Special, and Series 12 in 2023 xx.”
Get the very best of What’s On in London straight to your inbox
London has it all – the best nightlife, food, drink, events, markets, everything!
But how do you keep on top of this? Our weekly What’s On newsletter, Going Out Out, is how.
You’ll get a fully curated newsletter with the most exciting stories, reviews, previews and more every single week.
And the best bit? It’s completely FREE.
All you have to do is sign up for Going Out Out here.
Cliff has played the role of Fred in Call the Midwife since 2012, when the show’s first ever series aired. Before entering Nonnatus House, the London-raised actor played the role of Minty in EastEnders between 2002 and 2010. The star has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Outnumbered and The Bill.
Fans flooded the comments of the behind-the-scenes snap to say they “can’t wait” for the Christmas special. Many put: “I will never get enough of this beautiful series. Love it so much!” and one said: “Fred has my heart.”
Another fan wrote: “I cannot wait for this!!! Watching Call the Midwife is like a warm, cosy, welcoming hug x.” And one commented: “It’s always feels more like Christmas when I watch your Christmas specials.”
You can watch the Call the Midwife Christmas Special on Christmas Day at 7:55pm on BBC One.
For more Call the Midwife news and gossip, visit our dedicated page here.
Leave a Reply