Who is Doreen in Call the Midwife, who plays her and how many episodes is she in?

Viewers of Call the Midwife are loving the most recent episode of the show as season 13 kicked off with a bang!

Call The Midwife season 13 debuted on Sunday 7th January 2024 at 8pm on BBC One and fans were completely besotted with Doreen, a new character who guest starred in the first episode. 

In the show, Doreen, a woman with disabilities, found that she was just two weeks away from giving birth after getting slightly muddled with the dates of her pregnancy. Although she and her boyfriend, the family's piano tuner, were excited about the pregnancy, Doreen's mother Ada was shocked to find that her daughter was pregnant and felt that because of her disability, she shouldn't be sexually active or having a child. 

The episode focused on Doreen's mother's concerns for her daughter being autonomous, and the guilt Sister Julienne held for being the person to help Ada give birth to Doreen all those years ago when there were several complications. Although Sister Julienne felt guilty she realised that she was devaluing Doreen's life simply because she was differently abled. 

After initially confronting her daughter's boyfriend and suggesting he molested her, Doreen's mother eventually learned to support her daughter and see her as an adult capable of making her own decisions about her life.

Doreen told her family and the midwives, "I don't want anyone to see me as something broken because I'm not." She added, "I break things, sometimes cups, sometimes promises and now I break people's ideas of what a girl like me can do and have or be." Doreen then moved viewers as she struggled to give birth because of her disabilities. She then managed to give birth to baby boy and happily said 'I did it, I got it right!'

The ending showed Doreen and her family leaving Nonnatus House, smiling and waving with the new baby.

Who played Doreen in Call the Midwife?

Rosie Jones, a comedian with cerebral palsy played Doreen in Call the Midwife. The comedian is best known for her appearances on panel shows such as  The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Rosie has acted in several TV shows such as Casualty and Silent Witness, but for many fans this was a stand out role and earned her a lot of praise on social media.

"Yes, I'm bawling at Call The Midwife and Rosie Jones playing Doreen," said one viewer on X.

"Anyone coming out with ableist crap about @josierones, needs to be sat down and made to watch tonight’s #CallTheMidwife. Her performance as Doreen was one of the finest guest turns in the show’s history," said another.

Rosie Jones herself commented on social media,"Doreen did it, what a dream come true to be on Call The Midwife." Although she has only featured in this episode as a guest appearance, her popularity with viewers may encourage writers to bring her back into the series.

For fans wondering how to watch Call The Midwife, BBC iPlayer is the home of all 12 seasons and there are ways that you can view the wonderful series from across the world. Season 13 will also continue every Sunday on BBC One at 8pm.