After several adventures set on Earth, Doctor Who series 11 is heading back into space for episode five's futuristic The Tsuranga Conundrum.

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And would you believe it, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) come up against another mysterious alien. They just have the worst luck, don’t they?

Fortunately, the main cast won’t be facing this threat alone. The hospital is packed with patients, a host of characters the show hasn’t revealed a lot about. However, although their backgrounds will remain a mystery until the show airs, we do know who they’ll be played by.

Here’s everything you need to know…

Suzanne Packer plays Eve Cicero

You’ll probably know Packer from her role as Tess Bateman in the BBC’s Casualty, a part she played for 12 years from 2003. Before that, she starred as Josie Johnson on Brookside, 1990-2000.

Outside of soaps, Packer recently appeated in drama Keeping Faith (as Delyth Lloyd), Vera (ranger Sophia in 2017 episode Natural Selection), Stella (Carole) and The Level (Teresa Devlin).

Ben Bailey Smith plays Durkas Cicero

Known better by his stage name Doc Brown, you may have seen the rapper/comedian/actor in Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo and The Office spin-off film David Brent: Life on the Road. He also created and starred in CBBC comedy drama 4 O'Clock Club.

He’s also previously acted alongside Bradley Walsh (who plays Graham) in Law & Order: UK, the two playing a pair of London detectives.

Brett Goldstein plays Astos

Like Bailey Smith, Goldstein has a strong background in comedy, starring in likes of Derek, Drifters and Uncle (where he played Casper). He also wrote The Catherine Tate Live Show with Tate – a former Doctor Who companion of course.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Goldstein has acted with Jodie Whittaker: he starred opposite the new Doctor in 2016 comedy Adult Life Skills. The film saw Goldstein play an awkward estate agent trying to swoon Whittaker’s character, a 30-year-old hermit living in her mum’s garden shed.

Lois Chimimba plays Mabli

Chimimba is another actor who’s also appeared on screen with Jodie Whittaker previously: the pair were both in the cast of the BBC’s Trust Me. While Whittaker played a woman who stole the identity of a doctor, Chimimba took the role of nurse Karen.

Chimimba also starred in the National Theatre's production of Peter Pan, as well as playing Beth Forbes in Holby City.

David Shields plays Ronan

An establish stage actor, Shields has featured in TV shows as Doctors and Netflix’s The Crown. The Tsuranga Conundrum won’t be his first venture into the Whoniverse, however: Shields previously appeared in Torchwood Big Finish audio story The Office of Never Was.

Jack Shalloo plays Yoss Inkl

Shalloo played Constable Duff in several episodes of BBC drama Dickensian. The actor also played a member of Kold FM in BBC mockumentary People Just Do Nothing.

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Doctor Who is on 7pm Sundays, BBC1


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Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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