Call the Midwife creators dismiss rumours they've 'banned' Chummy star Miranda Hart from the show as "utter rubbish"
Creator Heidi Thomas and producer Pippa Harris said they would "welcome her with open arms should she ever be free and want to come back to Nonnatus House"
The creators of Call the Midwife have hit back at reports that Miranda Hart has been "banned" from returning to the show, denouncing the story as "utter rubbish" and promising that "the door is always open" to the star and comedian.
Hart starred as posh midwife Chummy in the first four series of the BBC drama, but left the show to work on other projects – with her character disappearing from Nonnatus House to work in a mother-and-baby home.
Fans were delighted to hear that she would make a triumphant return in series six, but the actress and comedian was forced to pull out "with a heavy heart" because of a scheduling conflict.
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An article in The Sun declares that "hopes of Miranda Hart coming back have been crushed by show creators," continuing: "The team behind the BBC1 ratings giant have now banned the comedian from rejoining the cast after she let them down at the last minute last year."
But in a strongly-worded response, the team behind Call the Midwife rejected the report, saying, "the story is utter rubbish, and we object to it in the strongest possible terms."
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Series creator Heidi Thomas and executive producer Pippa Harris also issued an open invitation to the star, which will fuel fans' hopes of a Chummy comeback.
"The creative team at Call the Midwife remain extremely close to Miranda, and hugely value the contribution Chummy made to the first four series of the show," they said in a joint statement.
"Sadly, the timing wasn’t right for her to return in 2016, but the door is always open. We would welcome her with open arms should she ever be free and want to come back to Nonnatus House."
