Matthew Aylward Call The Midwife Exit

So, I was scrolling through Twitter the other day—yes, I still call it that, don’t @ me—and I saw a clip of a young man in a Royal Navy uniform. He was standing on a train platform, looking at a woman with that perfect mix of longing and dread. I thought, “Oh no, who is this poor soul about to get his heart broken?”

That, my friends, was my introduction to Matthew Aylward, the new leading man on Call the Midwife. And within a week, the internet was ablaze with the news: Matthew Aylward is leaving the show. Already? I thought, surely they can’t be doing this to us.

Let’s rewind a bit. If you haven’t been mainlining Nurse Crane’s sage advice, Matthew is the charming, slightly awkward doctor who swept into Poplar and swept Sister Julienne off her feet (professionally, of course—she’s a nun). He’s also the love interest for Nurse Nancy, which, I’ll be honest, felt a little rushed.

But that’s the magic of Call the Midwife, isn’t it? They make you fall in love with a character over two seasons, then they hand you a packed suitcase and a train ticket to 1960s Scotland. Matthew’s exit is a big deal, and I’m here to break down why it stings so much.

The shock of the new (and the leaving)

The show is famous for its cast turnover. We’ve said goodbye to Chummy, to Jenny, to Patsy—the list goes on. But Matthew felt different. He wasn’t just a midwife or a nun; he was a male doctor in a sea of female nurses, and he had a son.

That’s right, Matthew arrived with a little boy, Marcus, and the whole “single dad balancing medicine and chaos” storyline was pure gold. It gave the show a fresh dynamic—a man navigating the same domestic hurdles as the women, but with the added pressure of mid-20th-century masculinity. (No pressure, right?)

Fans, including me, were rooting for him. We wanted him to find happiness with Nancy, we wanted him to be the dad who actually packed the lunchbox instead of just patting his son on the head. So when the exit news dropped, my reaction was a mix of sarcasm and genuine confusion. “Wait, he just got here?”

So why is he leaving? (And please, don’t say “creative reasons”)

The official line is that actor Oluwafemi Akinlade, who plays Matthew, decided to move on after his two-year contract. And you know what? I respect that. Actors aren’t mannequins—they have dreams, maybe a new play to do, or a film where they don’t have to deliver a baby in a bomb shelter.

But let’s be real. Two years feels like the shortest tenure for such a promising character. Typically, the show grooms a “doctor love interest” to last at least three seasons—remember Dr. Turner? He’s been around since the 1950s, I swear he’s immortal.

There’s also the irony: the show just introduced Matthew as a permanent fixture in the Nonnatus House orbit. He even moved into the community. And then—poof. It’s like inviting a friend to a party, giving them the best seat, and then asking them to leave before the cake is cut. Rude.

What Matthew’s exit means for the show

First, it leaves a hole in the romantic subplot. Nancy, after years of will-they-won’t-they with the charming but unreliable Tom, finally seemed to have a stable future. Now she’s either going to become a tragic single mother or bounce back with a new face.

Second, it signals that the show isn’t afraid to shake things up. Look, Call the Midwife is comfort television. It’s a warm blanket of nuns, tea, and miraculous births. But that blanket gets washed occasionally, and losing Matthew is like losing one of your favorite patches. It’s still cozy, but you feel the cold spot.

Personally, I think the writers are smart to keep us on our toes. If every character stayed forever, the show would become a nursing home for familiar faces. (And we already have Sister Monica Joan for that—love her.)

The existential question: Is this the end of an era?

Not really, no. The era of Matthew was, frankly, a brief interlude. But it was a good one. He brought a subtle humor—the exasperated look he gave when a mother called him “Doctor Paul” instead of “Doctor Aylward” was pure comedy gold.

And let’s talk about his chemistry with the cast. The way he bantered with Nurse Crane? Chef’s kiss. The scene where he and Sister Julienne argued about the best way to treat a difficult pregnancy? It was the first time I thought, “Wow, this man could actually lecture the nun and survive.”

But the show will go on. It always does. We’ll get a new doctor, probably a tall, brooding one with a mysterious past. (Calling it now: he’s from Liverpool or he was a war medic with secrets.) And we’ll eventually forgive the producers for letting Matthew go.

Final thoughts: Should you be mad?

Honestly? Be a little mad. Be annoyed that you invested two seasons of emotional energy into a man who’s now apparently commuting to a new life off-screen. But also be curious.

Think about the real world lesson here: people come and go, even in Poplar. Matthew Aylward was a great character, but he’s not the first rose in the garden. Remember when everyone was obsessed with Sister Evangelina? Yeah, we moved on.

So pour yourself a cup of tea, grab a digestive biscuit, and enjoy the drama. The midwives will keep delivering, the babies will keep crying, and Matthew Aylward will probably show up in a 1970s spin-off, looking distinguished with a beard. Until then, I’ll be here, ironically gripping my pillow, waiting for the next plot twist. You know you will be, too.