Helen George

George was born Helen Thomas in Harborne, Birmingham, to political science professor Neil Thomas and social worker Margareth Thomas. She has a sister, Elizabeth, a veterinarian.[1]

George studied ballet as a child, eventually becoming a junior associate at Birmingham Royal Ballet, and was active in sports, competing in the long jump. As a child she dreamed of being the first female manager of Aston Villa football club.[1]

George decided that she wanted to work in musical theatre at the age of 15, when she saw a production of Les Misérables.[2] She is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London and the Birmingham School of Acting.[1]

George attended the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying musical theatre. She gained her first role some two weeks after graduation in the play The Woman in White.[2] She was a backing singer for Elton John during a tour. She sang at venues including both Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.[2]

George was cast in the role of Trixie on the BBC One series Call the Midwife, based on the book by Jennifer Worth. She was daunted by the prospect of working with the likes of Pam Ferris and Jenny Agutter.[3] As part of the role she was trained in the medical techniques of the 1950s, including how to deliver a baby. In 2012, she underwent a press tour in the United States to promote the series there.[3] She also starred in the music video for singer Birdy's cover of "1901".[4]

In August 2015, George was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[5] She was partnered with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec.[6] Despite continuously getting high remarks from the judges, George was eliminated in week 11, finishing in sixth place.

In May 2020, she sang “The White Cliffs of Dover” at Buckingham Palace in a BBC Special marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

George married actor Oliver Boot in December 2012.[7] They met when they were both in Hotel Babylon. In August 2015, representatives of George confirmed that she and Boot had split up after three years of marriage.

In April 2016, she began dating her Call the Midwife co-star Jack Ashton when they went to South Africa to film the show's Christmas special.[8] Their daughter, Wren Ivy, was born in September 2017.[9] During her pregnancy with Wren, George was diagnosed with ICP. Due to this complication, she delivered Wren three weeks early via elective cesarean section. She is a patron of the charity ICP Support.

• Helen George at IMDb