Call the Midwife’s Olly Rix splits from girlfriend after seven years – a week after co-star’s relationship ends
CALL the Midwife TV star Olly Rix has split from his long-term partner — just like his on-screen missus.
The actor, 36, who stars as handsome businessman Matthew Aylward, and his make-up artist girlfriend Natasha Fagri broke up after seven years of dating.
The news comes after his co-star Helen George, 39, who plays his wife nurse Trixie Franklin on the hit BBC1 period drama, announced last weekend her relationship with her 36-year-old partner Jack Ashton was over.
A source said: “Olly and Natasha were very happy together for a long time, but eventually drifted apart due to work commitments.
“They have a lot of respect for each other and share custody of their pet dog.
“They are both busy with work and focusing on their future and different projects.”
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Fans watched in February as Olly and Helen’s on-screen characters married in a season finale.
The cast of the heart-warming show, set in London’s hard-up East End in bygone decades, recently reunited to film series 13.
An insider said: “Tongues have been wagging on set with two of the show’s biggest stars now single.
"Helen and Olly are supportive of each other and dedicated to their roles on the drama.”
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Previously, Olly described glimpsing Helen in her white dress during the wedding scene as a “heart-stopping moment” after managing to avoid seeing her before cameras started rolling.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine, he said: “It was a busy day and lots and lots of people in the church and there wasn’t much time to put a plan in place but I did everything I could to make sure I didn’t see Helen before she arrived on set.
“I had no idea what the dress was going to look like. I spoke to the guys dropping us down there and I said, ‘Please make sure we don’t cross paths, I don’t want to see her until I see her walking down the aisle.’
"And, amazingly, it worked and it was a bit of a heart-stopping moment.”
Helen, switching from her character’s blonde hair to brunette, was pictured last week in London wearing a pink gingham dress — with a recovery boot on after a stage injury — walking her dog.
Olly was seen walking near his home chatting on his mobile.
Speaking about marriage earlier this year in an interview about the wedding storyline, Olly told Digital Spy: “I don’t mean to speak ill of anybody, but as I get older, I look at people, and I think, ‘You’re not married to the right person.
"You’ve not had a family with the right person. You’re not dating the right person.’ Whatever.
“We all kind of compromise, and we all deal with the fact that time’s running away. We play the hand we’re dealt.”
Helen, who had met actor Jack on the show, said in a statement last weekend: “Some months ago, we separated. Our two beautiful girls remain the focus and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter.”
The actress, on the series since it began in 2012, met Jack when he joined two years later as vicar Tom Hereward.
Viewers saw his character propose to Trixie — but she ended the relationship.
The pair fell for each other in real life after travelling to South Africa to film the 2016 Christmas special. Daughter Wren was born in 2017, followed by Lark in 2021.
BBC bosses have ordered two more series of Call the Midwife, taking TV’s most popular drama into the 1970s and ensuring the show stays on air until 2026.
The long-running show drew 8.5million viewers for its latest festive special — second only to the King’s speech on Christmas Day.
Discussing having job security playing his Call the Midwife role Olly has said: “At the moment, all I’m thinking about is Call the Midwife because that’s in front of me, and I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know if the show wants me until 2026.
“They might not want to go there. I don’t know. One never really knows but as far as I’m concerned, I’m not looking for the next thing.”
In 2015, shortly after the breakdown of her previous marriage, Helen starred on Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec. The pair finished in sixth place.
Helen struggled with the limelight of starring on the BBC’s biggest entertainment show.
She said in January of the experience: “I was so naive. I still hadn’t told some of my family and friends that I was going through a divorce. I did close down. I was exhausted, mentally and physically.”
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Helen was able to find a silver lining, adding: “In some weird, life-lesson way it was strengthening to go through that chaotic period. I got to know and like myself better, because I knew what I could take and what I could achieve.”
A spokeswoman for Olly said: “Olly has no comment.”
