Call the Midwife series 15 is back with episode 5 – and it’s another emotional trip to London’s East End, complete with a guest cast packed with familiar faces you’ll definitely recognise.
This week’s instalment introduces the Barrowman family when their matriarch buys food from Violet for a big get-together. But what should be a joyful gathering quickly turns to tragedy when everyone who attended is suddenly struck down by a mysterious illness.
Elsewhere, an expectant mum hopes for a home birth that honours both her and her husband’s traditions, while Sister Veronica makes a life-changing decision.
Here’s who’s who in the guest cast of Call the Midwife series 15 episode 5.
Call the Midwife series 15 episode 5 cast: EastEnders’ Milly Zero stars as Lana
London-born actress Milly Zero – real name Melissa Jasmine Skye Zero – joins the Call the Midwife cast in episode 5.
Milly, 26, trained at The BRIT School and will be instantly recognisable to soap fans, even if she looks VERY different here as chain-smoking new mum Lana. And don’t expect her character to win you over either – she isn’t particularly kind to poor Sister Julienne.
EastEnders viewers will remember Milly as Dotty Cotton, a role she played from 2019 to 2022 after taking over from Molly Conlin, who portrayed the character between 2008 and 2010.
Dotty arrived as the daughter of villain Nick Cotton, son of long-suffering Dot. Nick famously used his daughter as a partner-in-crime and together they plotted to kill Dot and inherit her money. Milly eventually left the soap after three years in the role.
The actress first appeared on TV as a child star, making her debut aged 13. From 2013 to 2015, she played Hannah Enright in CBBC series All At Sea.
Since leaving Walford in 2022, Milly has made only a handful of TV appearances, including Lisa Gillespie in a 2023 episode of Doctors, playing Kitty in the 2023 short film Better, and a Burns Unit nurse in the Netflix series Too Much.
Press Gang’s Lee Ross plays Ivan Barrowman
Luton-born actor Lee Ross, 55, appears as Ivan Barrowman, who reveals he has recently moved back to the area with his family. Sadly, the story takes a tragic turn for them.
Lee has been a familiar face on screen since the 80s, beginning as a child star playing Dodger in Dramarama and spin-off Dodger, Bonzo & the Rest. His breakthrough came between
He later appeared in Westbeach, Shine on Harvey Moon and football drama Playing the Field, where he played Ryan Pratt.
Between
More recently, he has appeared as Deputy Director Richard Cockridge in Bulletproof, Prison Officer Jon Steddon in Professor T, and Kloris in both series of Andor.
Joanne Howarth plays Lana’s neighbour Mrs Russell
Manchester-born but London-raised Joanne Howarth plays Mrs Russell, Lana’s neighbour who alerts the midwives after hearing her giving birth alone.
The 65-year-old is well known for her theatre work, particularly with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and has a TV career spanning almost 30 years.
Between 2000 and 2001, Joanne starred as Spencer’s mum Sue Hargreaves. Since then, she has appeared in episodes of In Deep, The Bill, EastEnders, Spooks, Casualty, Doctors and It’s a Sin. Call the Midwife marks her first TV role since It’s a Sin in 2021.
Full guest cast list of Call the Midwife series 15 episode 5:
Milly Zero stars as Lana.
Lee Ross plays Ivan Barrowman.
Joanne Howarth plays Mrs Russell.
Hollyoaks’ Barbara D’Alterio portrays Madge Barrowman.
Gigglebiz’s Penny Ryder is Hilda Barrowman.
Newcomer Lily Crawford portrays young Suzanne Barrowman.
Death by Lightning’s Jack Alldridge stars as Paul Barrowman.
Better’s Akib Ahmed is Dilwar Khan.
Newcomer Annie Kingsnort plays Ruth Khan.
Newcomer Oishi Das stars as Aisha Khan.