Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969); Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones (2013–2017); and the title role in Medea in the West End in 1993 followed by Broadway a year later.
Frances Ruth Shand Kydd was the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales. She was the maternal grandmother of William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, respectively first and fifth in the line of succession to the British throne. Following her divorce from Viscount Althorp in 1969, and Diana's death in 1997, Shand Kydd devoted the final years of her life to Catholic charity work following her conversion to Catholicism.
William Mellor is an English actor and singer. He is known for his roles as Jambo Bolton in Hollyoaks, Gaz Wilkinson in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Warren Stamp in EastEnders, DC Spike Tanner in No Offence, Steve Connolly in Broadchurch, Georgie in Barking! and Ollie Curry in White Van Man. He appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Harvey Gaskell. In 2024, he appeared as sub-postmaster Lee Castleton in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, about the British Post Office scandal.
Judy Catherine Claire Parfitt is an English theatre, film, and television actress. She made her film debut in the 1950s, followed by a supporting role in the BBC television serial David Copperfield (1966). She also appeared as Queen Gertrude in Tony Richardson's 1969 film adaptation of Hamlet.
Laurie Brett is a Scottish actress, best known for her roles as Jane Beale in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders and Christine Mulgrew in the BBC One drama series Waterloo Road.
Jacqueline Denise Welch is an English actress, television personality, writer and broadcaster. Her roles include Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street (1997–2000), Steph Haydock in Waterloo Road, and Trish Minniver in Hollyoaks (2021–2022). Welch also appears as a regular panellist on the ITV chat show Loose Women.
Ruth Sylvia Roche, Baroness Fermoy, was a friend and confidante of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the maternal grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales. She was one of the Queen Mother's ladies-in-waiting.
Heidi Thomas is an English screenwriter and playwright.
Linzey Louise Cocker is an English actress best known for playing Jade Webb in the BBC Three comedy-drama series Drop Dead Gorgeous, Josie in the 2008 film Wild Child, and Jess Fisher in Waterloo Road.
Linda Bassett is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's dinnerladies (1999), Lark Rise to Candleford (2008–11), Grandma's House (2010–12) and Call the Midwife (2015–present).
Michelle Keegan is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tina McIntyre in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2008–2014) and Georgie Lane in the BBC military drama Our Girl (2016–2020). Keegan has also starred as Tina Moore in the biopic Tina and Bobby (2017), Erin Croft in Sky Max comedy Brassic (2019–present), Kate Thorne in BBC period drama Ten Pound Poms (2023–present) and Maya Stern in Netflix thriller Fool Me Once (2024).
Sheila Reid is a Scottish actress, known for playing Madge Harvey in the ITV sitcom Benidorm (2007–2016). An original member of the Royal National Theatre in 1963, she played Bianca in the National's 1965 film version of Othello, with Laurence Olivier in the title role. Her other film appearances include Brazil (1985), The Winter Guest (1997) and Containment (2015).
Call the Midwife is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, Helen George, Bryony Hannah, Laura Main, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt, Cliff Parisi, Stephen McGann, Ben Caplan, Daniel Laurie, Emerald Fennell, Victoria Yeates, Jack Ashton, Linda Bassett, Charlotte Ritchie, Kate Lamb, Jennifer Kirby, Annabelle Apsion and Leonie Elliott.
Sarah Gordy, MBE is a British actress who has Down syndrome. She is best known for her roles as Katie Thorne in The A Word and Ralph & Katie, Orlando Quine in Strike: The Silkworm, Lady Pamela Holland in the BBC TV series of Upstairs Downstairs, and Lucy Craddle in The Long Call. She has also acted in episodes of Call the Midwife, Holby City and Doctors. As well as these TV shows, she has acted in short films, radio dramas, commercials, and many theatre productions. In 2018 she became the first woman with Down syndrome to be made an MBE and the first person with Down syndrome to receive an honorary degree from a UK university.
Helen Elizabeth George is an English actress, best known for playing Trixie Franklin, later Trixie, Lady Aylward, on the BBC drama series Call the Midwife. In 2015, she participated in the thirteenth series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing; she was paired with Aljaž Skorjanec, and finished in sixth place. She was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for her contribution to the cast recording of Cinderella.
Laura Main is a Scottish actress known for her role as Sister Bernadette and, later, Nurse Shelagh Turner in the BBC One drama series Call the Midwife.
Sophie Alexandra Skelton is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Brianna Fraser in the Starz drama series Outlander.
Jack Ashton is a British actor, best known for playing the Reverend Tom Hereward in the BBC television series, Call the Midwife. He also appears as Lenny Sampson in Waterloo Road. On stage, he has performed in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse, and as Guy Haines in Strangers on a Train. He starred in the 2017 film Instrument of War, based on the true story of Clair Cline, an American prisoner of war.
Jennifer Ann Kirby is an English television and stage actress. She is best known for her role as Nurse Valerie Dyer on the BBC One period drama Call the Midwife. She joined the show in series six and played Valerie until the conclusion of the ninth series. She is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The fourth season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix on 15 November 2020. The season was promoted with the tagline "Change Will Challenge Tradition".
