It’s been over a decade since we first saw that bike wobbling through the cobblestone streets of London’s East End. 2012 feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? When Jessica Raine stepped into the sensible shoes of Jenny Lee, nobody—not even the BBC—quite expected the juggernaut Call the Midwife would become. It was just supposed to be a nice period drama based on Jennifer Worth's memoirs. Instead, it became a cultural staple.
Then, just as the show was hitting its stride in series 3, the news broke. Jenny Lee was leaving.
The lead character, the literal "voice" of the show (well, physically, if not the narration), was hanging up her nurse’s cap. People were gutted. It felt like the heart of Nonnatus House was being ripped out. Honestly, fans still argue about it in Facebook groups today. Was it a scandal? Did she hate the corsets? Or was it just... time?
The Truth About the Exit
Let’s be real: most actors don't leave a massive hit unless they have a very specific reason. For Jessica Raine, it wasn't about drama on set or a falling out with the nuns. It was the "Hollywood itch." By 2014, Call the Midwife had exploded in the United States via PBS. Jessica was suddenly a hot commodity in a way a jobbing stage actress usually only dreams of.
She wanted to do film. She wanted to do sci-fi. Basically, she didn't want to be "The Midwife" for the rest of her life.
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In interviews years later, particularly a candid chat with Radio Times in 2024, Jessica admitted something that might sting a little for die-hard fans: she gets bored. Not "bored" in a rude way, but creatively restless. She mentioned that three seasons is usually her "magic number." After that, she feels the need to jump into something totally different.
She wasn't lying. Since leaving, her CV has been a wild ride of "Wait, is that Jenny Lee?" moments.
- Line of Duty: She played DC Georgia Trotman (and spoiler alert: she didn't last long).
- Wolf Hall: She went full Tudor as Jane Rochford.
- The Devil’s Hour: Recently, she’s been playing Lucy Chambers in this mind-bending Prime Video thriller.
- Becoming Elizabeth: She played Catherine Parr, showing off a much sharper edge than we ever saw in Poplar.
How the Show Handled the "Jenny Lee" Problem
Writing out a protagonist is a nightmare for a showrunner. Heidi Thomas, the creator, had to figure out how to transition Call the Midwife from being "Jenny's story" to being "Nonnatus House's story."
In the show, the exit was heavy. Jenny had been through the wringer. She lost her boyfriend, Alec, in a horrific accident—that staircase scene still haunts me—and she was struggling with the emotional weight of midwifery. The showrunners gave her a "soft" exit. She moved into end-of-life care at a Marie Curie hospice, which felt poetically right for the character’s growth.
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Plus, it kept the door open. Sort of.
Even though Jessica left the screen, the character stayed. Vanessa Redgrave continued to provide the voice of "Mature Jenny" in the narration. It’s a clever trick. It keeps the DNA of the original memoirs alive while letting the actual actress go off and film thrillers in Iceland or play royalty.
The "I Don't Watch It" Controversy
If you want to see a room go quiet, watch the clip from The One Show back in 2017. When asked if she kept up with the series, Jessica blurted out, "I don't watch it anymore!"
People took it as a slight. It wasn't.
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If you've spent three years of your life working 14-hour days in a nurse's uniform, the last thing you want to do on your night off is watch other people do it. She’s still friends with the cast—especially Helen George (Trixie). It’s just a job. A job she loved, sure, but a job she finished.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a persistent myth that Jessica Raine left because she didn't like the "trauma" of the show. While she’s joked about being "put into a trauma role box," she actually loved the grit of the East End. The real reason was purely about the craft. In 2026, looking back at her career trajectory, her decision makes sense. She’s a character actress trapped in a leading lady’s face. She wants the weird roles, the stunts (even the ones that slip her discs), and the dark scripts.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan or someone following her career, here’s the bottom line:
- Don't expect a return: While "never say never" is a rule in TV, Jessica’s career is moving at a clip that doesn't really allow for a cameo at Nonnatus.
- Watch her recent work: If you miss her, The Devil’s Hour is the best place to see how much she’s evolved. It’s lightyears away from the 1950s.
- Appreciate the pivot: Her departure allowed Call the Midwife to become an ensemble show. Without her leaving, we might never have gotten the deep dives into characters like Phyllis Crane or Lucille Anderson.
The legacy of Jessica Raine in Call the Midwife is that she launched a phenomenon. She was the anchor when the show needed one, and she was brave enough to let go when the show was strong enough to sail on its own.
To see where she is now, check out her latest projects on Prime Video or the BBC iPlayer. Her range since 2014 proves that leaving Poplar was the right move for her—even if we still miss her on that bicycle.