The Big Picture
- The Fifteenth Doctor is getting a new companion, as Millie Gibson will reportedly leave Doctor Who after the upcoming season.
- Gibson’s replacement, Varada Sethu, has been spotted filming in Cardiff and has a background in adventure series, Star Wars series Andor.
- Gibson expressed her joy at joining the series and working with Ncuti Gatwa, highlighting their great chemistry and how it translated into their characters’ relationship.
In news that is sure to shock Whovians, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) is reportedly getting a new companion following the aparent decision to drop Millie Gibson from Doctor Who following the upcoming season, according to a report by the Daily Mirror, as picked up by Variety. Gibson, who plays the role of Ruby Sunday, only made her debut in the Christmas special alongside Gatwa, and is said to only appear in three of the episodes in season 15, which will air next year. One is said to be a standalone episode to wrap up Ruby’s journey with the Doctor. The report adds that the decision to replace Gibson was made after filming on her first season had come to an end.
Cast when she was just 18, Gibson was best known for her role as Kellie Neelan in the British soap opera Coronation Street. She was the recipient of the Best Young Performer Award at The British Soap Award, and when signing onto the show, showrunner Russell T. Davies said: “Millie shines like a star already. She’s brilliant, dynamic, clever, and a wonderful actor. As a Coronation Streetfan, I’ve seen Millie survive chases, guns, and sieges, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday.”
It appears that Varada Sethu will take over the role of the Doctor’s companion, as she has been spotted filming in Cardiff, where the series’ production has been based since it was first revived back in 2005. Sethu has a background in various television adventure series, but her more recent notable work includes her performance in Disney’s Star Wars spin-off, Andor.
Millie Gibson Loves Her Chemistry with Ncuti Gatwa
Gibson spoke with Collider’s Samantha Coley just last month and spoke of her joy at joining the series, and her excitement at working with Gatwa, saying how the pair of them would be in “fits and giggles” at the chemistry between them.
I think our humor together is really, really good, and a lot of that just came from our own personalities, and that was just our natural way of working together, and it was, yeah. You can imagine behind the scenes it was just fits of giggles after a take, and yeah, it really incorporated into our characters and their relationship as a whole for sure. I think Ruby and the Doctor are very similar to me and Ncuti, so I think, yeah, just seeing the connection along the way is gonna be really fun. Just the situations they get into, it’s just funny how their personalities deal with it.
Gibson’s debut, “The Church on Ruby Road”, and Doctor Who‘s three 60th anniversary specials are now available to stream on Disney+.
Doctor Who
The show follows the adventures of a Time Lord “The Doctor” who is able to regenerate, and the Doctor’s human friends. The Doctor and companion’s journey through time and space in the TARDIS – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – saving the universe with a combination of wit, bravery, and kindness.
- Release Date
- March 17, 2006
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
Watch on Disney+