If you’re planning to catch the Christmas special of “All Creatures Great and Small,” you’ll be pleased to see the return of a well-loved character, Helen Alderson, portrayed by Rachel Shenton. This year’s festive installment, scheduled for Wednesday, December 24th, at 9:00 p.m., is set during “the first peacetime Christmas after the war.” Beyond her role in Channel 5’s veterinary drama, Rachel Shenton has enjoyed a flourishing career and is married to a renowned director. While she is fondly remembered for her performance in “All Creatures,” Rachel initially made her mark on the Channel 4 soap “Hollyoaks.” Her breakthrough came in 2010 as Mitzeee Minniver, a role she played until her departure in December 2012.

Rachel Shenton’s accomplishments extend beyond television. Before joining “All Creatures Great and Small,” she earned an Academy Award. She penned and starred in “The Silent Child,” a film centered on sign language, which clinched the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film in 2018.

The film was directed by Chris Overton, who would later become Shenton’s husband. The couple first crossed paths on the set of “Hollyoaks” and tied the knot a few months following their Oscar triumph.

Reflecting on her Oscar win, Rachel shared, “It was a very surreal evening. On the night itself, you don’t have much time to dwell on things or feel overwhelmed.”

She added, “You’re focused on promoting the film, with numerous necessary engagements to attend, so there’s little time to pause.”

The British sign-language short film tells the story of Libby, played by Maisie Rose Sly, a profoundly deaf four-year-old girl, who lives a silent life until a social worker, played by Shenton, teaches her how to communicate through sign language.

Since then, Rachel and Chris has recently welcomed their first child this year. The actress revealed she had given birth to a son named Orson Wilde Overton on April 9, but added their little boy was born “earlier than expected,” so they had an extended stay in the hospital.

In a post on Instagram, Rachel wrote: “On the 09.04.2025 my dream came true ….Welcome to the world Orson Wilde Overton … Our hearts are yours.

“The biggest thank you to the brilliant midwives and doctors at Royal Stoke maternity Unit. Orson came along earlier than expected … so we needed to stay in hospital for a while and we couldn’t have wished for better care and support.”

All episodes of All Creatures Great and Small can be streamed on catch-up on My5.