Doctor Who newcomer Anita Dobson reveals character's link to Ruby Sunday

It's unclear at this stage how large Dobson's role will be in the upcoming Doctor Who season 14, with the actor telling attendees: "I wouldn't say starring – I think the Lord himself, Ncuti [Gatwa] and Millie are the ones starring – I'm merely joining the ranks of."

However, the EastEnders alum hinted that Mrs Flood could be drawn into the Doctor's adventures in some capacity, explaining she's a nosey personality who likes to know the goings-on in her neighbourhood.

"She lives in the same street so she's always got her eyes on what's going on. She's one of those," continued Dobson.

The actor had warm words for her co-stars Gatwa and Gibson, adding: "I haven't worked with Ncuti yet. I've done the read-through with him and he's gorgeous, he's absolutely adorable and very talented. Milly, I adore. I think she's absolutely stunning.

"But I've only done about three days, so very early days."

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Dobson went on to say that Russell T Davies personally offered her the role on Doctor Who, which is a series she has memories of watching as a teenager.

She concluded: "He asked me to join the ranks and he said, 'Please come and play with us.' How can you resist that?"

Fans are eagerly anticipating this year's Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, which will see David Tennant and Catherine Tate return to their iconic roles, while Gatwa is also expected to make his formal debut as the Fifteenth Doctor.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

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