Billie Piper says she "wouldn't go back" to Doctor Who
The actress, who starred as the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, has also revealed that her children won't her watch the show – despite her best efforts
One of the biggest stars of the Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who recently made a high-profile return to the show – with John Barrowman reprising his role as Captain Jack for festive special Revolution of the Daleks after a brief cameo in series 12.
But another popular companion from the mid-'00s, Billie Piper, has now ruled out returning to the beloved sci-fi programme.
The actress, who starred as Rose Tyler, says that she "wouldn't go back" to Doctor Who.
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Responding to the suggestion in an interview with The Guardian that she could be the "new star of Doctor Who" when Jodie Whittaker leaves, the actress ruled out a return altogether.
"I wouldn’t go back," she said. "It’s a great role, but you’re away from your kids for so long.
"My experience was that you were in Wales for nine months solid. And as a job it dominates your life. It’s mainstream family viewing so you can’t really escape it. It feels like it makes you very, very famous.”
And Piper, who recently reunited with Secret Diary of a Call Girl writer Lucy Prebble for the critically-acclaimed series I Hate Suzie, added that her children have shown little interest in watching the BBC's flagship sci-fi show.
"They don’t like seeing me in Doctor Who," she explained. "And I have pushed that on them a number of times. My elder son would get very upset that I was being chased or scared or attacked, so I thought, ‘OK, this is a weird mental leap for you.’"
Piper first appeared in Doctor Who in the first episode of the New-Who era in 2005, starring as the Doctor's main companion for the first two series before returning in the final four episodes of series four.
She has since appeared in various specials, most recently to mark the series' 50th anniversary in 2013, and has also reprised her role in several spinoff audio adventures for Big Finish.
Doctor Who returns to BBC One later this year. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
