Call the Midwife’s Charlotte Ritchie exit explained as she stars in Netflix’s You season 5

The highly anticipated Season 5 of You lands on Netflix today, featuring Penn Badgley in his iconic role as Joe Goldberg, alongside the talented British actress Charlotte Ritchie, playing Kate Galvin.

The final chapter of this gripping stalker drama sees Gossip Girl's much-loved Badgley propelled to new heights of fame, with the latest season set to be even more intense.

Netflix has fans on edge with the tease: "In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after... until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires."

As the series wraps up, viewers are curious about where they've seen Ritchie before. The actress boasts an outstanding acting repertoire, stretching from her appearance in BBC's Call the Midwife to notable Hollywood projects.

Charlotte Richie was already a successful star on British television before joining US series You when the Netflix show travelled to the UK to film season 4.

One of her first notable appearances was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire back in 2005, where she graced the screen as a Slytherin student - a detail that might astonish quite a few fans.

Additionally, in 2004, she showcased her talent in a short film titled The Open Doors, alongside Michael Sheen of Good Omens fame, reports the Mirror.

Before her breakthrough role, she featured in a number of small roles on shows like Doctors, Life of Riley, and even ITV's Emmerdale.

However, it was as the Manchester University student Oregon in Channel 4's Fresh Meat from 2011 to 2016 that she truly made her mark.

Following that, she has graced our screens as Nurse Barbara Gilbert in the beloved BBC period drama Call the Midwife, Alison Cooper in the BBC comedy Ghosts, and Bonnie Davenport in ITV's crime drama Grantchester.

*Warning - Spoilers for Call the Midwife season 7.*

Charlotte Richie captured hearts as Nurse Barbara Gilbert in BBC's Call the Midwife from season 4 in 2015 all the way to season 7 in 2018.

Her exit sent shockwaves through the fan community; her character quickly became an adored figure, leaving many fans distraught.

In a heartbreaking turn of events during season 7, Richie's heartfelt portrayal of Nurse Barbara concluded devastatingly with her character succumbing to sepsis.

Richie explained that her decision to leave the cherished series was driven by a quest for fresh acting challenges.

"They ask you to commit quite early on in the year to the show," she revealed to Radiotimes. "And I always wanted to do it, but I also felt that I'd done three different series for the last five years, and thought it might be good to slightly try and branch out and try something new."

Since her role as Joe Goldberg's latest love interest, Kate Galvin, in the Netflix series You, Charlotte Ritchie has been making waves in Hollywood. She played Barbara in the 2023 film Wonka, which featured Timothée Chalamet in the lead role.

She also starred in the dystopian sci-fi The Assessment in 2024, sharing the screen with Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen, and appeared in the TV movie Partygate. This drama is a portrayal of the notorious Partygate scandal at 10 Downing Street during the Covid pandemic.

She is also slated to act alongside Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis in the forthcoming ITV drama Code of Silence. Additionally, she will feature in the Netflix crime drama Legends, co-starring with Strike's Tom Burke.

You season 5 is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.