Call the Midwife’s Stephen McGann reveals he learned about sex as a youngster using FROGS in bizarre admission
STEPHEN McGann has revealed he was taught about sex as a youngster with FROGS in a bizarre admission about his education.
The actor, 61, plays fan-favourite character Dr Patrick Turner in Call the Midwife with his on-screen wife Shelagh.
With the highly anticipated 14th series of the BBC period drama just weeks away, fans will see Poplar progress into the 70s.
The new decade brings with it new challenges, as Call the Midwife tackles complex storylines such as vaccines and underage pregnancy.
And with religion playing a big factor in children’s education around contraception and sexual intercourse, it reminded actor Stephen on his own lessons on the touchy subject.
He recalled: “Let me tell you my sex education. Ladies and gentlemen, I was given sex education for five minutes as a child by a nun, by Sister Veronica in my school.
“She talked about sex using frogs, because she was the biology teacher. It lasted three or four minutes, and then it was over.”
“I learned, as a young child in the 70s, most of my sex education from the kind of dirty magazines you would find in the park in those days, before the age of the internet.”
Comparing it to sex education in the 21st century, McGann said the lessons his own son received were “brilliant”.
He added: “By the time my son came along, they had a week where they approached sex education when he was a teen, and frankly, it was brilliant.”
Meanwhile, Call the Midwife’s creator Heidi Thomas confirmed the drama’s fate after almost 13 years on air.
Despite being told in the street by fans how the show will have to ‘end soon’ Heidi assured viewers they will never run out of stories.
Earlier this year Stephen slammed a continuity announcer for the Beeb who said Call the Midwife was “a healthy dose of nostalgia”.
He took to social media to explain that although the BBC programme is set in the past, a lot of the scenes won’t bring happy memories for everyone.
The actor added a list of the heavy subjects it covers, such as “domestic abuse, child abandonment, the familial impact of terminal illness, and the psychological burden of serious debt”.
Call The Midwife: A breakdown
Call The Midwife first came onto the airwaves in 2012 and has been seen by millions. But what is it about?
Series one: Set in early 1957 and it explored the ‘Baby Boom generation, which included themes of poverty and post-war immigration.
Series two: Set in 1958 and it showed gas and air being introduced for pain relief for the first time. It ended with the Nonnatus House building being condemned.
Series three: Set in 1959 and it depicted gruesome conditions such as cystic fibrosis, polio and it showed the midwives in the context on prisons.
Series four: Set in 1960 under the threat of nuclear warfare and the emergency response guidelines issued by the local Civil Defence Corp. Other themes included LGBT rights, and syphilis.
Series five: Set in 1961 and it shows the care of patients with conditions such as Typhoid and strokes. We also saw the effects of thalidomide, the introduction of the contraceptive pill.
Series six: Set in 1962 and domestic violence was at the centre of the season. Other themes included FGM (female genital mutilation), mental health issues and interracial marriage. It was also notable for the introduction of Reggie, a recurring character with Down Syndrome.
Series seven: Set in 1963 and we see Nurse Lucille Anderson for the first time. We also see the show address conditions such as dementia, huntington’s disease, leprosy and meningitis
Series eight: Set in 1964 and it bravely covered the issue of abortion, which was not legal for another three years in 1967. Sickle cell disease, cleft lip, cleft palate and intersex people also featured.
Series nine: Diptheria was at the centre of the ninth instalment in 1965, and it was notable for featuring a blind expectant mother. But the role of Nonnatus House within the community also came into question.
Series ten: Set in 1966, Nonnatus House has a rival in the form of the private Lady Emily Clinic in Mayfair. PKU, diabetes and the controversy surrounding abortion were central themes.
Series eleven: Set in 1967 amid the housing crisis and a scabies epidemic. The show was rocked by a train crash right next to Nonnatus House.