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Doctor Who: BBC Introduces Millie Gibson as Companion Ruby Sunday

It's been close to two months since showrunner Russell T. Davies & incoming Doctor Ncuti Gatwa met to audition companions for the upcoming new series of adventures (more on that below). And then earlier today, we learned that a new companion would be revealed during the BBC's Children in Need event, running from 7 pm to 10 pm UK time (2 pm to 5 pm NYC time). At the time, based on the key art teaser that was released, we went with Gatwa's Sex Education co-star Mimi Keene (Ruby Matthews). Were we right? Nope… because Millie Gibson (Coronation Street, Butterfly) will be taking on the role of companion Ruby Sunday.

"Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honoured to be cast as the Doctor's companion. It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa's side? I just can't wait to get started," Gibson said in a statement. "Millie just is the companion. She is full of talent, strength; she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room, she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun; I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!" Gatwa added. "It's the great honour of my job to find the next generation of talent, and Millie shines like a star already. She's brilliant, dynamic, clever and a wonderful actor. As a 'Coronation Street' fan, I've seen Millie survive chases, guns and sieges, but that's nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday," Davies included.

In the most recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine, script editor Scott Handcock shared excerpts from his production diary where it was revealed that auditions for the next companion were held on Saturday, September 24th (which Davies posted about on that day without revealing what exactly was going on). "Secret companion auditions take place in London – with Ncuti in attendance!" Handcock's entry reads. So will we be seeing a companion or two (or three?) in the upcoming anniversary specials? Based on the calendar math, it seems unlikely since Handcock's production diary covers the time period between August 21st and September 29th, when edits of the three specials were sent to the BBC and Disney+. Based on Handcock's entry, that explains what Davies was teasing in his Instagram post from that same day as the pieces slowly come together:

Doctor Who: Getting to Know Ncuti Gatwa

To help get the word out about the news that Disney+ would be the show's home outside of the U.K. and Ireland, Gatwa was able to take advantage of that new "corporate synergy" to visit Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest's morning talk show. In the clip, Gatwa not only shares how it feels to be taking on the role but also how much more exposure the show will get with its new Disney+ deal. But most important? We learn how Gatwa's mother responded to the news that they would be leading the British institution:

In the following featurette, Gatwa offers a little backstory on the Doctor before expressing their excitement over the role, as well as sharing where they would take the TARDIS and which villains catch their eye:

And here's a look back at the teaser trailer released immediately after "The Power of the Daleks" for the upcoming three-episode 60th-anniversary event (set for November 2023):

"If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we've got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti's Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger, and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, and why? We're giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!" Davies shared in a statement when the first teaser was released, confirming the Doctor's new "lineage." Now, here's a look at the new logo for the long-running show's new era:

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