Nearly a month ago, Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor came to a close in “The Power of the Doctor.” While that special ended with the surprising twist of her regenerating into the Fourteenth Doctor, who looks just like the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant’s return to Doctor Who will only take place during the 60th anniversary specials. After that, Ncuti Gatwa will officially take over as Doctor Who’s regular lead, and ahead of that debut, it’s been announced who the Fifteenth Doctor’s companion will be.
Millie Gibson, best known for playing Kelly Neelan in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, has been officially cast as Ruby Sunday, the young woman who will be accompanying the Fifteenth Doctor on his adventures across space and time in the TARDIS. Gibson’s other TV credits include Jamie Johnson, Love, Lies and Records and Butterfly, and like Ncuti Gatwa, she’ll make her Doctor Who debut during 2023’s “festive season.” Here’s what the actress had to say in an official statement about coming aboard Doctor Who:
Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor’s companion. 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 said in his own statement that Millie Gibson “is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor,” and that he can’t wait to “sail the universe” with her. Russell T. Davies, Doctor Who’s returning showrunner, called Gibson “brilliant, dynamic, clever and a wonderful actor,” and that while he’s seen survive all sorts of danger in her other roles, “that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday.” While there have been numerous periods of Doctor Who, most notably the entirety of the Thirteenth Doctor era, where The Doctor has traveled with multiple companions, it’s looking like, for now at least, the Fifteenth Doctor will start out with just Ruby Sunday by his side.
You can watch Millie Gibson being unveiled as the new Doctor Who companion on the BBC’s Children in Need telecast below.
Here's the moment Millie Gibson walked out of the TARDIS, LIVE on @BBCCiN! 😱 pic.twitter.com/CqHB2Wa9c7November 18, 2022
The news of Mille Gibson’s involvement comes several weeks after it was announced that starting in 2023, Doctor Who will stream exclusively on Disney+ in the United States. This will start with the three 60th specials that will air in November and see David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor reunite with Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble. Then, as teased in today’s announcement, it sounds like we’ll get our first adventure spotlighting the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday around the following Christmastime. So make sure your Disney+ subscription is in order by then, especially since it’s been reported that because of this new streaming deal, Doctor Who could get a major budget increase.
While we wait for more updates on what’s on the Doctor Who horizon, don’t forget that the series’ modern episodes can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription. You’re also welcome to see what programming is left to debut this year with our 2022 TV schedule.
