Call the Midwife Star Cliff Parisi Battles Hypothermia on Freezing Set
Filming the latest series of the BBC’s hit drama Call the Midwife took a chilling turn for actor Cliff Parisi. The star, famous for playing Fred Buckle, faced a serious health scare when freezing temperatures hit the Poplar, East London, seaside shoot.
Freezing Winds and Flying Sand Bring Chaos to Set
Series 13’s episode had the beloved midwives escape the city for a seaside outing—but bitter winds made filming a nightmare. Parisi revealed the struggle, saying, “Everything was going sideways. The wind was unbelievable, it was so cold. I was wearing a shirt with a hanky on my head. I managed to keep the hanky the whole time – but I got hypothermia in the end.”
With hypothermia symptoms setting in, Parisi was rushed off-set to warm up. Crew members also suffered, but were quickly wrapped in foil blankets to battle the cold snap.
Cast and Crew Call It a ‘Nightmare’ But Keep Smiling
Despite the frostbite fears, Parisi kept his spirits high. “It was a laugh, but it was difficult to film. Things were flying everywhere. Hair and make-up gave up and ran for cover. One crew member did too. We started with two cameras and ended with one. There was sand in everything,” he joked.
Co-star Annabelle Apsion, who plays Parisi’s on-screen wife Violet, described the weather as “a nightmare for continuity.” She added, “The weather had been brilliant just before and after we shot, but while we were there it could not have been worse. It was hysterical.”
Call the Midwife Defies the Weather, Still a Must-Watch
Despite the stormy production, Call the Midwife continues to charm audiences across the UK. Catch the drama every Sunday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
