Call the Midwife series 15: EastEnders teenage tearaway looks unrecognisable as she guest stars in cast of episode 5
And she's not the only former soap star...
Call the Midwife series 15 continues with episode 5 and a particularly emotional visit to London’s East End – as well as some very familiar guests in the cast.
This week, the medical drama introduces the Barrowman family, when the matriarch buys food for a family gathering from Violet. But the celebration turns to commiseration when, that night, everyone in attendance is struck mysteriously ill.
Meanwhile, an expectant mother wants a home birth to link her own and her husband’s traditions, and Sister Veronica makes a huge decision.
Here’s who plays 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 – guest stars in the cast of Call the Midwife series 15 episode 5.
Milly, 26, is a graduate of The BRIT School and soap fans will no doubt recognise her. Although she looks VERY different playing chain-smoking new mum Lana in Call the Midwife. Don’t expect to like her character very much either, she isn’t very nice to poor Sister Julienne.
EastEnders addicts will know Milly for playing Dotty Cotton in the BBC soap, a role she played between 2019 and 2022. She took over the role from actress Molly Conlin (who portrayed the character from 2008 to 2010).
Dotty was introduced as the daughter of dodgy character Nick Cotton, son of long-suffering Dot. In fact, Nick famously used daughter Dotty as his partner-in-crime, and they plotted to kill Dot and inherit her money. Milly Zero eventually quit the soap after three years.
The actress actually started out as a child star, making her television debut at the age of 13. Between 2013 and 2015, she played Hannah Enright in the CBBC series All At Sea.
Milly has only made a handle of TV appearances since leaving Walford in 2022. She’s popped up as Lisa Gillespie in a 2023 episode of Doctors, played 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, portrays ill-fated character Ivan Barrowman in the latest episode of Call the Midwife. The character announces he’s just moved back to the area with his family. But tragically, things don’t end well for them.
The actor has been on our screens since the 80s, when he started out as a child star playing Dodger in children’s shows Dramarama, and its spin-off Dodger, Bonzo & the Rest. His first taste of true fame came between bunch of kids making the newspaper Junior Gazette.
Lee went on to appear in Westbeach, Shine on Harvey Moon, and Yorkshire football series Playing the Field, where he starred as Ryan Pratt.
Between
More recently, the actor has played 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 in Call the Midwife. She’s Lana’s neighbour in the medical drama who alerts the midwives when she hears her giving birth alone.
The 65-year-old actress is well known for her work in theatre, especially with the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. But she also has a TV career spanning nearly 30 years.
Between 2000 and 2001, Joanne starred as Spencer’s mum Sue Hargreaves. Since then, she has worked as a jobbing actor, popping up in episodes of In Deep, The Bill, EastEnders, Spooks, Casualty, Doctors, and It’s a Sin. In fact, Call the Midwife is 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.
Read more: Call the Midwife film: Cast and filming news as the BBC series heads to the big screen
