Real-life infant who played Poldark's dying baby was born premature

Home Top

EXCLUSIVE: 'Drug-fueled murderer' of US woman found dead in a luxury South African hotel with a pound of cocaine is a drug-addict black-sheep member of billionaire Central American dynasty
Father Bobby Brown is nowhere to be seen at final goodbye for Bobbi Kristina: Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick lead the mourners as she is buried next to her mother in New Jersey cemetery
Lindsey Graham hammers Clinton-world in New Hampshire GOP forum and connects Hillary to Bill's lies: 'When Bill says "I didn't have sex with that woman," he did!'
Brown and Houston families at WAR as photo of Bobbi Kristina in her casket 'is sold for six figures' with both sides blaming one another for the leaked picture
Two dead and 15 injured in New Hampshire circus tent collapse as powerful storm brings big top down at local fairgrounds
PIERS MORGAN: The best tribute Whitney and Bobbi Kristina's greedy, grasping, fame-hungry relatives and friends could pay them is to shut the f*** up
Is this why women wear their coats in the office? Air conditioning temperatures in the office are based on the preferences of a middle-aged male
It's not Viagra he needs... it's testosterone: Many men think those little blue pills are all it takes to pep up a flagging love life. But new research suggests they're VERY wrong
London to New York in just ONE HOUR: Airbus files patent for a hypersonic jet more than double the speed of Concorde
Ease the AGONY of sunburn: It can be a sign of significant skin damage. Here's how to reduce the redness and pain
'I'm not a cold-blooded killer and I'm not a coward': Bank robber who 'shot dead cop' hands himself in after Memphis sheriff's angry attack on him
Democrats save Planned Parenthood from being stripped of cash - for now - after horror abortion videos as Republicans vow to push measure through
Obama to meet with Jewish leaders to push Iran nuclear deal as poll shows American public opposes pact with ayatollahs
'We cannot repeat the 1970s': NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton calls for crackdown on gun violence after 22 are shot and three killed in New York over the weekend
Jeb is miserable at my rise, crows Trump: Republican frontrunner laughs at claims Bush is happy at The Donald hurting rest of field
Marry Mia Farrow? I've scotch older than her: That's what Dean Martin told Sinatra. If only he'd listened!
World's biggest plane to launch in 2016: Designers reveal megaplane could send astronauts into orbit using a mini shuttle
Search for flight MH370 debris on Reunion Island uncovers plastic water bottles from MALAYSIA and Taiwan
Department of Homeland Security issues terror alert after three drones are spotted in three days above JFK
No more fumbling for keys! Now you can unlock your front door with a 'swipe and a tap' of an Apple Watch
Be careful swimming at this beach! Great White sharks pictured swimming just a few feet from Massachusetts shore
Outrage as Navy says sailor who fired on Chattanooga shooter could face disciplinary action
Jury rules theater shooter James Holmes IS eligible for the death penalty
Special Olympics athlete who went missing from USC campus the day before he was due to fly back to Albania is found hundreds of miles away in North California

Matilda Fitt, now 21 months old, played baby Julia Poldark in BBC show
The real-life infant was born nine weeks early, and battled pneumonia
Matilda was chosen to play Julia because of her small size
Unlike her character, who died of putrid throat, Matilda is now doing well

By Annabel Fenwick Elliott for MailOnline

Published: 07:58 EST, 27 April 2015 | Updated: 11:13 EST, 27 April 2015

View
comments

The baby who died in Poldark's emotional season finale last night is a true survivor in real-life, having beaten the odds to live after she was born prematurely.

Little Matilda Fitt - who played baby Julia Poldark in the BBC drama - was born to 34-year-old Hannah Fitt nine weeks early in their home town of Barry, South Wales, weighing just 2lb 12oz.

Matilda, now 21 months old, won the part to make her small screen debut only weeks after leaving the hospital, where she was treated for pneumonia.

Scroll down for video

Little Matilda Fitt (left) - who played baby Julia Poldark in the BBC drama (right) - was born nine weeks early in Barry, South Wales, weighing just 2lb 12oz

Matilda was chosen to play to Julie, who in the TV show died from putrid throat, because of her small size.

Now Mrs Fitt has revealed how watching the scene brought tears to her eyes.

'It was very emotional seeing it because of what we’ve been through,' she said.

'Matilda was in and out of hospital for check-ups and tests since birth. She had a lot of breathing difficulties and pneumonia.

'But last September she was finally discharged from hospital consultant care and a few weeks later she won the part of Julia.'

Mrs Fitt took Matilda for the filming in Cornwall last year to meet stars Aiden Turner and Eleanor Tomlison.

Matilda was chosen to play to Julie, who in the TV show died from putrid throat, because of her small size

Matilda, now 21 months old, lives with her mother Hannah, 34, (left) and dad Matthew, 33, (right)

Morose scene as Poldark carries his daughter's tiny coffin

'The cast were all great with her and Aiden Turner is as lovely as everyone says,' she said.

'All the cast were - especially Eleanor. She’s a very special person, extremely down to earth and just lovely - she was great with Matilda.

'Some scenes were tricky to nail because baby Julia is supposed to be really poorly and we knew Matilda did have to die on camera.

'As you can imagine, getting a 15-month-old to play dead was no easy feat but she coped really well.

'In one scene she is lying on a bed fully made-up and the doctor is mopping her brow. But I was there with sweets to make sure she was happy.'

Matilda was on set for five days and even had her own trailer

'As you can imagine, getting a 15-month-old to play dead was no easy feat but she coped really well,' said Mrs Fitt, pictured on set with Matilda

Millions tuned in to watch the series finale yesterday evening, and were shocked by the death of Ross and Demalza’s baby daughter.

Julia caught putrid throat from her mother, who contracted it after the disease broke out among the people of Trenwith.

Matilda, who lives with her mum and dad Matthew Fitt, 33, was cast as the older of two young children who played Julia.

Matilda, pictured, won the part to make her small screen debut only weeks after leaving the hospital, where she was treated for pneumonia

Matilda was in and out of hospital for check-ups and tests for months after her birth, and her mother said watching the Poldark death scene brought tears to her eyes

'We want everyone to know that in real life Julie - or Matilda - is very well and doing fine,' her mother said, describing her daughter as 'a little star'

Mrs Fitt, who works for the SAFE Foundation helping disadvantaged people, said: 'It was only a few weeks after she was released from hospital care that my sister-in-law saw the casting call for a baby girl.

'We decided to put her forward. Soon after that she was accepted and we were told only minimal information. All I knew is that it was filming for a BBC production.

'We spent five days filming. Matilda was a bit of a diva occasionally but she always came around with some bribery of toys and books.

'She even had her own trailer and a rider of green grapes. But we want everyone to know that in real life Julie - or Matilda - is very well and doing fine. She is a little star.'