BBC Call the Midwife fans in ‘tears’ as Dr Turner welcomes new addition to the family

Call the Midwife fans were forced to pass round the tissues after Dr Patrick Turner (played by Stephen McGann) and Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) welcomed a new addition to their family.

Back in series eight, the beloved couple agreed to foster a young Chinese orphan called May (April Rae Hoeany) whose planned adoptive family fell through.

She brought the number of their brood to four comprised of Patrick’s oldest son Timothy (Maz Macmillan) from his first marriage, adopted daughter Angela (Alice Brown) and their biological son Teddy (Edward Shaw).

On Sunday (February 23), the BBC period drama followed new parents as they battled with parenthood with a history of drug addiction as Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey) faced the discuplinary board.

Elsewhere, Patrick and Shelagh finally made the youngster a permanent part of the family by getting their adoption paperwork approved by a judge.

On the big day, the trio sat in the courtroom where their solicitor revealed that May's biological mother, who still resides in Hong Kong, has finished the formal agreement for the adoption.

It was at this point that the judge said: "So May, today is the big day. We are going to make a formal decision that Dr and Mrs Turner will be your legal father and legal mother. Are you happy about that?"

She sweetly replied: "I've been happy for a long time just knowing it will happen". The judge concluded: "Then we are all agreed, the adoption order has been made, congratulations."

As the emotional scenes hit the airwaves, fans flooded to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their approval online. One user gushed: “It’s official Shelagh and Patrick are May’s parents #CalltheMidwife [crying emoji, heart emoji].”

Another agreed: “Oh God, Mays adoption. Who else is getting tears. Shelagh started as a nun, and is now a nurse, wife and mother of four children. It’s a hell of a journey #callthemidwife.”

A third penned: “May Turner is officially adopted #CallTheMidwife” as another echoed: #callthemidwife Aww, love wee May. Such a beautiful looking wee girl.”

Call the Midwife airs on Sundays from 8.05pm on BBC One or catch up on BBC iPlayer.