Doctor Who Adds Coronation Street Star Millie Gibson As The Doctor's New Companion
According to the BBC, The Doctor has a brand new companion. 18-year-old actor Millie Gibson, best known for her turn on the soap opera "Coronation Street," will be appearing alongside Ncuti Gatwa when the latter makes his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor on "Doctor Who" in 2023. Like many companions past, this will be Gibson's biggest breakout role to date, but her other credits include the children's show "Jamie Johnson" and "Butterfly," a drama about a girl coming to terms with her gender identity.
Gibson will play the cheerfully named Ruby Sunday in "Doctor Who" when the series returns from hiatus. While little is known about Ruby as of yet, "Sex Education" star Gatwa has described Gibson herself in a way that makes it clear that she'll be a great match for his Doctor. "Millie just is the companion," he shared in a statement to the BBC. "She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor." The BAFTA-winning actor continued, "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."
A new Who era is on its way
Gibson herself shared a statement as well, saying she is "beyond honored" and "will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before" her. Meanwhile, once and future showrunner Russell T. Davies praised the work he's seen from Gibson on "Coronation Street," which has already won the young actress a British Soap Award for Best Young Performer. "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," he shared.
"Doctor Who" fans have endured a lot of change over the past few years, especially as Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall's time on the show came to an end. Thankfully, it sounds like Ruby is here to stay. You may also recall that "Heartstopper" actor Yasmin Finney will be popping up in the show's 60th anniversary specials in 2023, playing a character named Rose. It's also worth noting that Gatwa's version of the Doctor is actually now being referred to as the Fifteenth doctor as opposed to the Fourteenth, as David Tennant will first reprise his role as the Doctor next year during a three episode anniversary arc.
"Doctor Who" will return in late 2023 on the BBC, as well as, for the first time ever, Disney+.