Doctor Who Christmas special 2023 cast: The Church on Ruby Road characters

After a brief meeting with Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor in the 60th anniversary specials, we were reunited with him for a whole new adventure as he met new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and encountered a menacing horde of goblins. Safe to say, we're going to have The Goblin Song in our heads for days.

Plus, this adventure marks a whole new era for the show.

Showrunner Russell T Davies has called it a "reinvention of the show, brand new, but not a reboot", adding that "it's the same old show" but "everything starts again, everything's seen through the eyes of Ruby Sunday and it's that lovely feeling of here we go, a new era beginning".

But as well as Gatwa and Gibson, who else starred in The Church on Ruby Road? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special.

Doctor Who 2023 Christmas special cast: Church on Ruby Road characters

Here are the main cast members and characters in the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road. Read on below for more info about who they are and where you've seen the actors before.

• Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor
• Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
• Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday
• Davina McCall as Herself
• Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood
• Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday
• Hemi Yeroham as Abdul
• Mary Malone as Trudy
• Christina Rotondo as Janis Goblin

Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor

Who is The Doctor? The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels in space and time in his TARDIS, usually with a companion. This incarnation is the Fifteenth Doctor, who in the 60th anniversary specials bigenerated from the Fourteenth Doctor.

Gatwa has described his Doctor as "a bit cheeky, a bit mischievous", as well as being "emotionally vulnerable" and "lonely", and he seems to have completely embraced the role.

The first scenes of the special saw the Doctor soaking up the atmosphere in a club, before an epic adventure with Ruby – plus, he's still clearly grappling with the Timeless Child revelation as we saw during one scene with Carla (Michelle Greenidge).

Where have I seen Ncuti Gatwa before? Gatwa first shot to fame for his role as Eric in Sex Education, but he also starred in Barbie earlier this year and will appear in the Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air.

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday

Who is Ruby Sunday? Ruby is the Doctor's next companion, who, when he meets her, is looking to try and find her birth parents. She was adopted and never knew any of her biological family.

The episode saw her appearing on a TV programme, hosted by Davina McCall, in the hopes of finding a trace of her biological family – but, as we learn, there's no trace of them left behind.

However, we did catch a glimpse of a hooded figure, who we're presuming is Ruby's mother, when the Doctor went back in time to the church. Plus. showrunner Russell T Davies has confirmed that mystery is set to continue into the series.

Davies has previously teased her backstory, explaining: "It’s called The Church on Ruby Road because that's where the church is where Ruby is left as a baby in 2004. So, she's named after that church. She's a foundling, so no one knows who her mother or father is. She was named after the church on Ruby Road, which does carry over into the series itself."

Meanwhile, Gibson recently opened up about her character on BBC Breakfast, describing her as "pure, innocent and positive".

Where have I seen Millie Gibson before? Gibson has previously appeared in series including Butterfly and Jamie Johnson, but is best-known for playing Kelly Neelan in Coronation Street between 2019 and 2022.

Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday

Who is Carla? Carla is Ruby's adoptive mother. She regularly fosters children, and at first fostered Ruby, but later adopted her.

Actress Greenidge recently exclusively chatted to RadioTimes.com, saying: "Carla's bond with Ruby is very special, and there isn't anything Carla wouldn't do for Ruby. Their love for each other is very strong."

Where have I seen Michelle Greenidge before? Greenidge is best-known for her roles in series such as It's a Sin, After Life, Mandy and Code 404, while she has also appeared in The Witchfinder, Alex Rider, Grantchester and Small Axe. She has also had roles in films including Cruella and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Davina McCall as Herself

Who is Davina McCall? McCall is playing herself in The Church on Ruby Road. The episode shows her hosting a show like Long Lost Family, which offers people a chance to find lost relatives. However, McCall's role is bigger than that, as we find out when she starts to suffer from some terribly bad luck.

Where have I seen Davina McCall before? McCall is a presenter, known for her work on shows including Big Brother, The Masked Singer, My Mum, Your Dad and Long Lost Family, amongst many others. She has acted before, playing herself in series including Extras and Dead Set. She has also appeared in Doctor Who before, voicing the Davinadroid in the 2005 episode Bad Wolf.

Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood

Who is Mrs Flood? Mrs Flood is Ruby Sunday's next-door neighbour. But, thanks to an unexpected mid-credits scene, it's clear there's more to her than meets the eye. The mid-credits scene shows Mrs Flood revealing she's seen a TARDIS before – and we're sure her story hasn't ended there.

Where have I seen Anita Dobson before? Dobson is an actor and singer best-known for playing Angie Watts in EastEnders. She has also appeared in series including Casualty, Call the Midwife, Dodger and Inside No 9, and took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.

Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday

Who is Cherry? Cherry is Carla's mother and Ruby's adoptive grandmother.

Where have I seen Angela Wynter before? Wynter is best known for her role as Yolande in EastEnders, and has also previously had roles in series including Holby City, Death in Paradise, The Tunnel, Les Misérables, Vera, Cleaning Up, Doctors, This England, Call the Midwife, Three Little Birds and Time.

Christina Rotondo as Janis Goblin

Who is Janis Goblin? Janis Goblin is the lead singer of the goblin band, with their song, The Goblin Song, recently being released. Rocking some long blonde locks, Janis has already become an icon in the Doctor Who fandom.

Recently speaking to RadioTimes.com, singer Rotondo said of The Goblin Song: "Obviously reading these lyrics, I'm like, 'What is this song about?' Like, I actually thought I was getting punked or something. In my head, I was going through all these scenarios like, 'What could this possibly be used for?!'

"I wondered if it was like an alternate reality or like a dream, or maybe a song on a TV. I still don't really know the full placement of that. So it'll be really fun to watch."

Where have I heard Christina Rotondo before? Rotondo is a session vocalist and is known for her covers on YouTube as well as her work for brands like Guitar Hero Live and Mercedes – and of course, now Doctor Who!

Hemi Yeroham as Abdul

Who is Abdul? Abdul lives on the same street as Ruby Sunday.

Where have I seen Hemi Yeroham before? Yeroham has previously appeared in series including EastEnders: E20, Tyrant, Benidorm and The Cockfields, as well as appearing in 2008's Mamma Mia!.

Mary Malone as Trudy

Who is Trudy? Trudy is a bandmate and friend of Ruby Sunday.

Where have I seen Mary Malone before? Malone has previously appeared in Vera, The Girlfriend Experience and Chivalry, as well as the 2023 film The Prince.

Doctor Who will return for The Church on Ruby Road on BBC One at 5:55pm on Christmas Day.

Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what’s on.

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