Ever since her early appearances in the TV show The Newcomers and the much-loved film, The Railway Children, Jenny Agutter has been on our screens for more than 60 years.

These days, she’s more widely known for playing Sister Julienne in Call The Midwife.

What originally started out as a one-off series in 2012 is still going strong with more than 100 episodes – including 11 specials, a 12th airing on Christmas Day, and a brand new series in January.

“I’m amazed at the fact that I’ve just completed series 13,” admits Jenny. “When you look at that in terms of your life, it’s a lot."

"When I started out, we had six episodes, and I thought that was going to be it," confesses Jenny. "I thought it was a very good mini-series about nuns and midwives stemming from Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, and that was lovely.

"It never occurred to me that it would sit so closely to so many people’s hearts across different social barriers and different groups.

“In retrospect, I can see why. I think a lot of it has to do with Heidi Thomas’ writing, she is imaginative and able to use fact and fiction so well by weaving them together."

"The things that have happened and the way people have been affected by their circumstances – all of those things come into play," continues Jenny. "And Heidi delights one with human nature and the peculiarity of people.”

During her time in the show, Jenny has filmed births “in lavatories and tenements”, but this year’s Christmas special is very exciting for Sister Julienne, who is part of a complex delivery as a result of advances in fertility drugs.

“Trying to film a birth in an ambulance with a crew is not easy,” reveals Jenny. “They had to leave the ambulance doors open and we were cramped."

"It’s also a birth that comes out of the blue because the young woman should have gone to the hospital.," Jenny teases. "There’s also very heavy snowfall, which comes into it as well.”

Watch the Call the Midwife Christmas Special on Christmas Day, 8.15pm, BBC One

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