Call The Midwife twins signed up for success

Donnie and Hugo Gellibrand, who are 18-months-old, will feature in the show alongside the likes of Miranda Hart, Jessica Raine and Jenny Agutter this Sunday on BBC1 at 8pm.

“It’s actually aired on Mother’s Day so it’s a real treat for me and I’m really excited,” explained the twin’s mother, Tara Cresswell.

The 41-year-old sent a picture of her sons after a friend who is involved with television said an agent was looking to cast identical twins.

She continued: “The boys haven’t done anything like this before and I wasn’t planning on going down this road and it was a real shot in the dark.”

Donnie and Hugo play Anthony, who is grandson of Fred, as portrayed by ex-Eastender Cliff Pirisi, in the series which is based on the memoirs of midwife Jennifer Worth in a deprived area of East London in the 1950s, .

Tara added: “The casting was quite good because they do actually quite look like their on-screen grandad and they got on with him too which was great.”

Tara stayed on set the whole time and had friends and family around to offer a familiar face and help look after the other twin.

“I couldn’t guarantee they’d enjoy it but as it happened they absolutely loved it,” admitted Tara, who lives in Rusper Road with husband Adam.

“Donnie especially enjoyed it, he was an absolute diva. They were just starting to speak around the time of filming and he started saying the word action, it was really funny.”

As a result of appearing in the programme, the twins have now been signed to the agency who cast them for the show.

Michelle Kirby, director of agency Daisy & Dukes, said: “They were exactly what they were looking for, the twins had a fantastic temperament, and this was definitely helped by having such a relaxed, committed and laid back mum.”