Call the Midwife has bid farewell to Bryony Hannah, Emerald Fennell and Kate Lamb, after the trio decided to quit the show ahead of the seventh series.

Emerald and Kate played nurses Patsy Mount and Delia Busby on the BBC show, while Bryony had been with the show since it debuted in 2012, playing nun Cynthia Miller.

"We are always sad when actors want to move on to pastures new, as it's a wrench to let go of such beloved characters, but time and again over the years it has proved hugely exciting to bring new faces and personalities into the mix," a spokesperson told Radio Times.

BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian

"As a large ensemble family, comings and goings are part of life in Call the Midwife and we wish Emerald, Kate and Bryony all the luck for their next projects.

"Our core team are still very much at the heart of series seven and viewers have already taken newer cast members like Nurse Crane and Valerie into their hearts."

It comes a few months after star Ben Caplan – aka PC Peter Noakes – departed the show after being a series regular since the beginning of the drama.

Neal Street Productions/Des Willie BBC

The last series wrapped up in February, and received praise for tackling challenging topics such as female genital mutilation, facial disfigurement and disability. However, there was some criticism for its domestic abuse storyline.

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