Rose Ayling-Ellis says it "makes sense" for her Doctor Who character to be deaf

The episode sees the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and companion Belinda (Varada Sethu) arrive at a colony base on an "empty planet" 500,000 years into the future – but further story details, including exactly who Ayling-Ellis is playing, remain a secret.

The actress, who is deaf and a British Sign Language user, wasn't giving away any spoilers when we spoke to her, only saying of her character, "It makes sense for her to be deaf."

Ayling-Ellis's casting was announced in December 2024, with the star admitting it was "so hard" to keep her role a secret, "to the point where I had to lie to myself that I'm not doing it".

"That was the only way I could stop telling everyone, 'I'm going to be in Doctor Who!' – I only told my mum and my dad... otherwise they'd be really upset if I kept that from them!"

2025 has been a busy year for Ayling-Ellis already, with BBC One documentary Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks and the thriller series Reunion already under her belt and a new ITV drama, Code of Silence, set to air from Sunday 18th May.

Does she see her Doctor Who appearance, along with better deaf representation in drama and factual programming, as a turning point for the TV industry?

"Last year was probably the best time for deaf people – deaf people on the crew as well," she said.

"Reunion was my first time ever I got to perform with another deaf actor, and that says a lot. I've been doing this for 10 years and that was the first time... so it's exciting and I can't wait to see, how much further can it get?"

Russell T Davies previously described Ayling-Ellis's turn in The Well as "an astonishing performance of terror, anger and bravery in one of the most frightening episodes we’ve ever made".

Other guest stars set to appear in the new season of Doctor Who – which spans eight episodes total – include Freddie Fox, Christopher Chung, and returning faces from UNIT, such as Jemma Redgrave and Bonnie Langford.

Read more:

• Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies says he's planning seasons 4 and 5 after hiatus hint
• Doctor Who confirms Graham Norton role – after previous (sometimes accidental) cameos

Doctor Who: The Well airs Saturday 26th April on BBC One at 7:20pm and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer from 8am.

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