Bradley Walsh didn't even have to audition for his Doctor Who role
"I just got asked"
The news that singer, actor and game show host Bradley Walsh is to be one of a group of new Doctor Who companions when the show returns next year was met with mixed reactions from fans.
But showrunner Chris Chibnall – who worked with Walsh on ITV legal drama Law & Order: UK – clearly never had any doubts, having apparently tapped him up for the role without even asking him to audition.
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Walsh, 57, who will play a character called Graham in series 11, dropped that particular nugget of information during an interview on The One Show on Friday evening, much to the dismay of co-host Sally Phillips, who is a self-confessed Doctor Who fan and had been angling for a role herself.
“I am so jealous of you,” admitted Phillips. “How on earth did you score that job?”
“Er, I just got asked,” replied Walsh.
“You didn’t have to audition?” asked an incredulous Phillips.
“No, Chris Chibnall[…] asked me if I fancied being in the show, so we went down to meet [at the first script reading],” said a deadpan Walsh as Phillips writhed on the sofa in a fit of jealousy.
She did score one over Walsh, though, as he pointed out that she had had more success fronting The One Show than him.
"You must be good," he said. "Second night in a row, that’s very, very good... the last time I did it, that was it, that was the end of my career on The One Show – I helped out that once and they’ve never had me back since."
Nice thought, but – no offence to The One Show – we think we know which gig Phillips would rather have landed...
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