After Waiting 10 Years to Become a Mother, Famous Actress Leaves Series to Stay Close to Her Daughter

Michelle Keegan was due to play a working-class lawyer in a new television series, but she reportedly left the project because its filming schedule would have kept her away from her 18-month-old daughter, Palma.

The actress withdrew only a few months before filming was due to begin. Jodie Whittaker, 44, will take over the role. The decision reportedly dealt a major blow to the production company and her colleagues because Keegan had agreed to the project months earlier and filming dates had already been set. She left before signing a contract.

People who know Keegan said she had been genuinely keen to take on the important role. But the demanding hours would have kept her away from Palma for too long. They said Keegan had to balance her career with being present for her daughter, despite her commitment to acting.

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Going back to work after having a baby was quite scary. But the production team was very supportive and looked after me so well, it felt like I was working with my family.

Keegan and Mark Wright met in Dubai in 2012, became engaged in 2013 and married in 2015 at Hengrave Hall in Suffolk. After their wedding, they faced repeated questions about when they would have a baby, along with rumours that their marriage was in trouble because they had no children.

The couple welcomed Palma in March 2025, ten years after their marriage. Keegan later returned to work and said doing so after having a baby had been frightening, although the production team had supported her. She also spoke about the pressure surrounding motherhood, saying, “When we got married, I made it clear that I wanted to start a family... But then there was so much speculation because we chose not to have children within a certain period of time.”

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When we got married, I made it clear that I wanted to start a family... But then there was so much speculation because we chose not to have children within a certain period of time.