Charlotte Ritchie (born ) is an English actress. She is best known on television as Nurse Barbara Gilbert in Call the Midwife (2015–2018) and Alison Cooper in Ghosts (2019–2023).
Ritchie's mainstream career began with her role as Oregon in Fresh Meat, before going on to appear as Hannah French in Siblings, Alison in Dead Pixels, George Lawson in Feel Good and Kate Lockwood in You. She was a member of the classical crossover group All Angels.
Early life and education
Charlotte Ritchie was born in Clapham, London, in .- She was educated at James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich, and joined Youth Music Theatre UK and its production of Red Hunter in 2005.
She gained a degree in English and drama at the University of Bristol while filming Fresh Meat in her final year.- -
Career In 2004, Ritchie played a lead role in a short film entitled The Open Doors with Welsh actor Michael Sheen. She appeared as an uncredited extra in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.-
Ritchie performed with All Angels in an episode of Emmerdale.- She also played Emily Owen, a neighbour in the BBC's Life of Riley.
From 2011 to 2016, Ritchie portrayed Oregon in the Channel 4 comedy series Fresh Meat.
She starred alongside Tom Stourton in the BBC Three sitcom Siblings (2014), and she appeared as a guest panellist in the same year on 8 Out of 10 Cats.
From 2015 to 2018, she played Nurse Barbara Gilbert (later Hereward) in the popular period drama Call the Midwife.
In 2016, she appeared in the UK production of Noël Coward's Private Lives, playing the role of Sibyl Chase.
On New Years Day 2019, Ritchie had the guest starring role of Lin in the Doctor Who episode "Resolution".
From 2019 to 2023, she played Alison, alongside Kiell Smith-Bynoe as Mike, in Ghosts, a BBC sitcom about a young couple who inherit a haunted estate.- In 2019, she played Alison in Dead Pixels.
She additionally played George in the Channel 4 series Feel Good, co-starring with Mae Martin.
Ritchie was a contestant on series 11 of Channel 4's Taskmaster (2021).
In 2022, Ritchie joined the cast as a series regular on season 4 of You.- That same year, she debuted as Bonnie Evans/Davenport in Grantchester.
In 2023, Ritchie appeared in the music video for "The Blades" by the alternative rock band Squid. She appeared as Barbara in the 2023 film Wonka.
In 2026, she also appeared as Environment Agency employee Sophie Harrison in the Channel 4 docudrama Dirty Business. In the Netflix show Legends (2026), which too was released in 2026, Ritchie's portrayal of her character, also named Sophie, was praised for "a quietly stunning and authoritative performance".
She also presented the nine part docuseries For the Record: An Incomplete History of Music for The Cosmic Shambles Network released in 2026. She was praised as being the series 'trump card' and as a 'charming, humanising force'.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2004 The Open Doors Vera 2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Student Uncredited extra 2013 Benny & Jolene Jolene 2014 The Portrait Eva Burrell Short film 2016 Time Traveller's Support Group Lina Short film2018 Careful How You Go Short filmMan of the Hour Gemma Short filmMatchBox Imogen Short film2019 Capital Charlotte Quince-Wheatley Short film 2021 REPEAT Emily Moore 2023 Wonka Barbara 2024 The Assessment Serena 2025 Hostages CharlieLead role
Television Year Title Role Notes 2009 Life of Riley Emily Owen 2011–2016 Fresh Meat Melissa "Oregon" Shawcross Main role; 30 episodes 2012 Doctors Becky Foley 2 episodes 2014 This Thing Called Love Alice Barber 2014–2016 Siblings Hannah French Main cast 2015–2018 Call the Midwife Nurse Barbara Gilbert Main role: series 4–7 2016 Drunk History UK Herself (drunk storyteller) 1 episode S2 E5 Raised by Wolves Ruby 3 episodes Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man for Sport Relief Narrator 2019 Doctor Who Lin 1 episode: "Resolution" Death in ParadiseIris Shephard1 episodeStath Lets FlatsHarriet1 episode2019–2023GhostsAlison CooperMain role; 34 episodes2019–2021 Dead Pixels AlisonMain role; 12 episodes 2020McDonald & DoddsSgt Irene Ross1 episodeThe Other OneKitty1 episode2020–2021Feel GoodGeorge LawsonMain role; 12 episodes2021TaskmasterHerself (contestant)Series 112022–2024GrantchesterBonnie Evans/Bonnie DavenportSeries 7–92023–2025YouKate LockwoodMain role; seasons 4–52023PartygateHelen MacNamaraTV docudrama2025Code of SilenceDS Ashleigh FrancisMain role; 6 episodes 2026Dirty BusinessSophie HarrisonLegendsSophieSupporting cast; 6 episodesFor the Record: An Incomplete History of MusicHost9 episodes
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2014–2016 Dreamfall Chapters Zoë Castillo (voice) Main role 2021 Bravely Default II Gloria (voice)
Theatre and radio Year Title Role Notes 2015 Good Omens Anathema Device (voice) Main role
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2022TV Times AwardsFavourite Comedic PerformanceGhosts 2024Favourite Actor (Comedy) 2025 TV Choice Awards UK Best Comedy Performance
References
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