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Helen George

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the British artist and sculptor, see Helen Margaret George.

Helen George
George in 2015
Born
Helen Elizabeth George

(1984-06-19) 19 June 1984 (age 40)
Birmingham, West Midlands, England[1]
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2015)​
PartnerJack Ashton (2016–2023)
Children2

Helen Elizabeth George (born 19 June 1984) is an English actress, best known for playing Trixie Franklin, later Trixie, Lady Aylward, on the BBC drama series Call the Midwife. In 2015, she participated in the thirteenth series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing; she was paired with Aljaž Skorjanec, and finished in sixth place. She was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for her contribution to the cast recording of Cinderella.[2]

Early life

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George was born in Harborne, Birmingham, to political science professor Neil Thomas and social worker Margareth Thomas. She has a sister, Elizabeth, a veterinarian.[1] Raised in Winchester, Hampshire, she attended Edgbaston High School for Girls between 1993 and 1998, and 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.[3] She is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. George also attended Birmingham School of Acting.[1]

Career

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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.[3] She was a backing singer for Elton John during a tour. She sang at venues including Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.[3]

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.[4] 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.[4] She also starred in the music video for singer Birdy's cover of "1901".[5]

In August 2015, George was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[6] She was partnered with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec.[7] Despite continuously getting high remarks from the judges, George was eliminated in week 11, finishing in sixth place.

In May 2020, she sang "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" at Buckingham Palace in a BBC broadcast marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

In January 2024, she appeared in The King and I, playing Anna Leonowens, at the Dominion Theatre London.[8]

Personal life

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From 2011 to 2015, George was married to actor Oliver Boot.[1] 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.[9] Their daughter, Wren Ivy, was born in September 2017.[10] During her pregnancy with Wren, George was diagnosed with ICP. Due to this complication, she delivered Wren three weeks early via elective caesarean section. She is a patron of the charity ICP Support. In June 2021, George announced on Instagram that she was pregnant with her second child. Daughter, Lark, was born in November 2021.[11][12] George and Ashton split up in 2023.[13]

Filmography

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Film and television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Hollyoaks Miss Jones
2008 Hotel Babylon Susie 1 episode: #3.2
2011 7 Lives Valerie Film
Doctors Andrea Towers 1 episode: "A Life in the Day"
The Child Reni Film short
The Three Musketeers Blonde Film
2012 Scar Tissue Mel Farrow Film
2012–present Call the Midwife Trixie Franklin / Trixie, Lady Aylward Main cast; 81 Episodes
2013 Pointless Celebrities Herself; Contestant Period Drama Special
2014 Comedy Playhouse Selina 1 episode: "Over to Bill"
2015 The Monster Madeleine Film short
Strictly Come Dancing Herself; Contestant Finished in sixth place
2017 Red Dwarf Aniter Season 12, Episode 5: "M-Corp"
2018 Nativity Rocks! Miss Shelly Film
2019 CBeebies Bedtime Stories Herself; Storyteller 3 episodes
2020 Celebrity Catchphrase Herself; Contestant Christmas Special
2022 D.I. Ray Annalie 1 episode: "Part Two"
Richard Osman's House of Games Herself; Contestant Series 6, Week 7

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Laws, Roz (3 October 2015). "Who is Strictly Come Dancing's Helen George?". The Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. ^ https://www.grammy.com/artists/Helen-George/38095 [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b c "Helen George: Call The Midwife is bringing family drama back to TV". Metro. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b Marshall, Denise (11 February 2003). "Call The Midwife has started a baby boom but not for me, admits Helen George". Daily Express. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  5. ^ Birdy (10 February 2012). "Birdy - 1901 [Official Music Video]" – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Born to boogie, it's Helen George!". BBC. 26 August 2015.
  7. ^ Debnath, Neela (5 September 2015). "Strictly Come Dancing 2015: Ola Jordan joins Olympian Iwan Thomas as couples unveiled". Sunday Express. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  8. ^ Associates, Ken McMonigle, HdK. "The King & I Musical". King & I Musical. Retrieved 27 January 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Call The Midwife's Helen George gives birth to first child". Yahoo! Celebrity News UK. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  10. ^ Sutton, Megan (16 October 2017). "Call The Midwife's Helen George reveals her baby daughter's beautiful name". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Call the Midwife's Helen George finally confirms second baby's name and sex". HELLO!. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  12. ^ Farquharson, Georgia (20 November 2021). "Helen George: Call The Midwife star gives birth to second child". GoodtoKnow. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  13. ^ Muir, Ellie (16 July 2023). "Call the Midwife's Helen George and Jack Ashton announce split after seven years". The Independent. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
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