We've known for a while that Ncuti Gatwa is the next (well, it's a little more complicated than that right now, so spoiler alert for lower down the page) incumbent of the TARDIS, due to debut as the lead in Doctor Who next year. Now we know who will be his first main companion – Coronation Street's Millie Gibson, playing Ruby Sunday.
"Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor’s companion," she says. "It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa’s side, I just can’t wait to get started."
Ncuti Gatwa adds: "Millie just is the companion. She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun, I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!”
Russell T. Davies, who brought the series back in 2005 for its big relaunch, is returning to run it again starting next year. "It’s the great honour of my job to find the next generation of talent, and Millie shines like a star already. She’s brilliant, dynamic, clever and a wonderful actor," he says. "As a Coronation Street fan, I’ve seen Millie survive chases, guns and sieges, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday."
And before we go any further, another SPOILER WARNING for anyone who hasn't watched Jodie Whittaker's final episode… She regenerated into David Tennant, who will be the 14th Doctor (yes, even after having been the 10th) starting November 2023 before Gatwa takes over as the 15th nearer Christmas.
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