Call the Midwife officially confirms Sister Monica Joan’s fate with devastating diagnosis

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As a longtime Call the Midwife viewer, I’ve been increasingly concerned about Sister Monica Joan. Her health has been getting worse for a while now, and the latest episode really ramped up my worries – things took a seriously dramatic turn for her.

Her friends have become increasingly concerned by her swollen feet, lack of appetite, and extreme tiredness. Dr. Turner ordered blood tests to find out what was causing her illness, and the results, revealed in tonight’s episode (Sunday, February 15th), show she has chronic kidney disease.

He shared his hope for a treatable condition, while Sister Julienne noted that the illness affects elderly people with a gentle and peaceful quality.

Dr. Turner believes the condition appears quickly, not gradually, saying, “It just takes them.”

Sister Julienne then voices the question no one wants to ask: how long does she have?

Dr. Turner isn’t sure how much time remains, but he’s worried it’s not long. He explains that if they can’t convince the patient to accept treatment, her kidney failure will worsen rapidly. Nurse Crane, deeply saddened, promises to continue caring for her with the same love, but with extra caution.

Sister Monica Joan continues to refuse help, telling Nurse Crane she may not want to live much longer, even though the nurse believes she has plenty of time left. Without medical care, her condition is expected to worsen significantly.

According to creator Heidi Thomas, season 15 will conclude a major period for the show, and strongly suggests it will be the last we see of a particular character’s story.

At the TopMob Covers Party 2026, Thomas noted that change has been a major inspiration for many of their stories over the last few years, adding that he’s been developing these ideas for quite some time.

Honestly, I thrive on seeing things evolve, and I’d be lost if stories stayed the same. What really grabs me about this series is its focus on transformation and pushing boundaries – it’s all about looking ahead, which means it’s also beautifully wrapping up a chapter. It feels like the end of an era, and that’s incredibly powerful.

She said the change felt natural, but also acknowledged it was a very emotional experience.

She explained that everyone experiences sadness when things change, but just like in life, ‘Call the Midwife’ is always evolving – both its characters and its storylines are constantly growing and changing.

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Thomas also mentioned the season 15 finale, saying it was challenging yet rewarding to create.

Creating that episode felt incredibly personal because so much of it came from my own life experiences. But honestly, what really pushed me was wanting to do the absolute best job possible. We knew this was our only chance to properly finish this version of the story, and it had to be perfect.

“So it’s hard and it’s very emotional — not because it’s sad, but because it’s beautiful.”

Thomas isn’t alone in finding this season challenging. Judy Parfitt, who is 90 years old and has been with the show since the start, told TopMob magazine that filming the recent episodes was especially tough on her, both physically and emotionally.

She explained that she fully immerses herself in her characters. She can’t perform any other way – she needs to become the person she’s portraying. She doesn’t observe herself from the outside; instead, she lives through scenes that deeply affect her. It’s sometimes been a very difficult experience. While a strong imagination is a gift for an actor, she admitted it can also be incredibly challenging to live with.

She shared how much she’s enjoyed playing the character over the years. She always wanted to portray a nun, having been educated by them herself, and she particularly loved Monica Joan’s unique personality. The character was wonderfully written as eccentric and spoke differently than others, which was challenging to learn. While people often seek her wisdom, she’s also easily flustered and very sensitive, quickly becoming overwhelmed if anything disrupts her.

“Having all that to play was wonderful. I don’t know what I’ll do without her, actually.”

Call the Midwife season 15 continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday at 8pm.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2026-02-16 00:35