Call the Midwife star Stephen McGann is a huge fan of Gloucester History Festival.

Punchline-Gloucester-com caught up with the actor just before he went on stage on Saturday evening - his third visit to the festival.

Stephen said: "It's brilliant here. My latest trip is my favourite because it came out of a podcast where I talked about Call the Midwife and the women on Call the Midwife.

"When I had the offer to come back to wonderful Gloucester it had to be third time lucky for me. The really nice thing about this festival is that you feel a close connection with the audience.

"I arrived a little bit early and I went somewhere I hadn't been for years - to the cathedral. I had forgotten just how beautiful it was. The city is so steeped in history.

"Gloucester is an incredible place, a place of industry and work. Gloucester isn't just a dead museum piece, it's very much a living city."

Stephen said his brother Paul, also an actor, used to read him history stories as a child and they both loved history growing up.

However, he added: "I had to choose between history and geography when I was 14 and I chose geography. I think I've spent my entire life regretting it. So what I've done is voraciously read and watch history ever since and I wanted to meet historians. This is a place where I can bump into really expert people more than anywhere else."

Stephen said he takes history into his acting as he's appeared in a number of period dramas.

"History is on your back and shoulders all the time," he added.