Why did Lucille leave Call the Midwife and has she gone forever? Fans react to the beloved nurse's exit from Poplar

Call the Midwife fans are wondering has Lucille left Poplar for good, after the character was given an open ticket to return to her native Jamaica in the latest episode of the BBC One drama.

Viewers of Call the Midwife were left stunned after Sunday's emotional episode, which saw one of the show's favorite stars make a sudden, and possibly permanent, exit from the East London borough of Poplar. 

Lucille Robinson (Leonie Elliott) became the latest midwife to leave Nonnatus House last weekend, following the recent departures of Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar) and Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri). The shocking twist in the West Indian nurse's fate comes shortly after it was confirmed that Call the Midwife has been greenlit for a 12th and 13th series, much to the delight of its adoring fans. 

Lucille had faced everything from racial abuse to infertility since arriving on the scene in Series 7, and by the time the Call the Midwife Christmas 2022 special had aired, it appeared things had finally taken their toll. 

Why is Lucille leaving Call the Midwife? 

Unable to get pregnant with husband Cyril Robinson and stressed to the nines at work, Lucille becomes increasingly depressed in Series 12 and begins to recluse from life by isolating herself in her bedroom. Her despair is only aggravated by her overwhelming homesickness for Jamaica, where her family still lives, and the growing racism gripping Britain in the wake of Enoch Powell's anti-immigration speech. 

After a harrowing moment of suicidal ideation, Lucille decides to seek medical help from Dr. Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann). 

After assessing Lucille's symptoms, the GP informs her she's on the brink of a breakdown and urges her to take time off. Cyril then intervenes to speed up his wife's recovery, by buying her a plane ticket to Jamaica. Lucille is unmistakenly heartened by the kind gesture, and for the first time in a long time, appears hopeful for the future. 

Cyril then surprises her with the same motorcycle he borrowed for the first date a year prior, and the pair are shown riding away from their home together - in what appears to be their farewell scene. 

Naturally, the sudden plot twist has left viewers wondering if Lucille has now left Call the Midwife for good. 

"Lucille is coming back, right? This isn’t like, a forever thing, right?" one person wrote on Twitter.

"Lucille is one of my favourite characters in Call the Midwife - I hope she comes back soon!" another bereft fan tweeted. 

Leonie Elliott took to Instagram shortly after Sunday night's episode aired to address the positive reception to Lucille's storyline, but she did not share whether or not her character's exit was permanent. 

"This season was incredibly difficult to film," the 34-year-old actor wrote. "Thank you for all your kind words. It's my hope for people watching that if they can see the good in her, maybe they can extend that to people in real life. I care about her deeply.

"Many share her story of miscarriage and depression, and many share her experience of abuse, racial or otherwise. Many of us face mental health challenges, I hope we can continue to love one another, support and listen to each other. Look after yourselves and each other."

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