ONE of the stars of Call the Midwife has shared his regret over his prison stint.
Cliff Parisi, 64, is beloved by fans of the hit BBC show for his role of Fred Buckle.
The actor first rose to prominence when he made his debut in EastEnders as Minty Peterson back in March 2022.
In Call The Midwife, Cliff plays a shopkeeper who is also the main caretaker of Nonnatus House.
In a new interview, the actor has now opened up on the period of his life where he landed on the wrong side of the law.
Speaking to Saga Magazine, Cliff revealed in the latest issue that he grew up in a “fairly rough” area.
He explained that he was still unable to read or write after he left school and he did not have promising “prospects”.
When asked about his biggest regret in life, the actor revealed: “Trying my luck as a rubbish bank robber and ending up in prison aged 19.
“Where I grew up was fairly rough. I left school at 14 unable to read or write and if you didn’t have any prospects, which I didn’t, you could easily get in trouble. And I did.”
Cliff continued: “When the robbery went wrong, I escaped from the bank on a bus. I got away with it for a year.
“Finally, one of the other guys got arrested and the next thing I knew, the police were knocking on the front door.”
Adding: “I was just about to go on stage for a big production of South Pacific, but got carted off to Brixton Prison.
“I got bail and was able to do the show before I was sentenced.”
After his 18-month sentence for the bank robbery escape, Cliff admitted that he used the time to try and improve his reading skills in prison.
He previously opened up about his tough childhood, revealing that his family’s former landlady once tried to buy him and his sibling from his teenage parents, George and Irene Manley.
When his mother refused, the landlady threw them out of the house and onto the street.
The family were then forced to sleep rough in Hackney’s Victoria Park, before social services were informed and took the children into care.
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.
The actor confirmed: “Mum and Dad jumped on a bus with us but it was chased by a police car and stopped.
“Me and my sister were ripped from their arms and they were both left sobbing by the side of the road.”
Cliff previously shed light on the criminal incident before entering the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2019.
He told the Sunday Mirror: “This has hung over me like a black cloud. It was a massive mistake that I made and I deeply regret it.”
