Doctor Who fans will soon get to see Ncuti Gatwa’s first full episode as the Doctor – and their first glimpse of Millie Gibson as his new companion, Ruby Sunday.
Following his brief appearance alongside David Tennant in the third 60th anniversary special episode, The Giggle, Gatwa’s first solo outing as the Doctor will air on Christmas Day.
The episode, titled The Church on Ruby Road, will focus on Ruby Sunday and how she meets the Doctor. The official episode description reads: "Long ago, on Christmas Eve, a baby was abandoned in the snow.
“Today, Ruby Sunday meets the Doctor, goblins, stolen babies and, perhaps, the secret of her birth."
So who is 19-year-old Ruby Sunday actress, Millie Gibson?
Who is Millie Gibson?
Millie Gibson was born Amelia Eve Gibson on June 19, 2004, in Greater Manchester.
As a child, she was spotted by a talent agent in an Oldham Theatre workshop play, and began working professionally.
In 2017, Gibson appeared in an episode of the TV series Love, Lies and Records, before going on to play Indira in the TV series Jamie Johnson in 2018. She later played Lily Duffy in the TV mini series Butterfly the same year.
However, Gibson is probably best known for her role on long-running soap Coronation Street, where she played Kelly Neelan in 172 episodes, from 2019 until 2022.
Last year, she won the best young actor gong at the British Soap awards for her role on Coronation Street, but decided to leave the soap after four years.
And, as fate would have it, it was around the time she was leaving Coronation Street that she auditioned for Doctor Who.
Gibson shares insights into her life on Instagram, where she currently has more than 220,000 followers. Following the Doctor Who Christmas special, it’s likely that that number will go up exponentially.
What has she said about starring in Doctor Who?
Gibson has described her character as “very bubbly, very positive", adding that “she has a certain innocence to her".
Gibson also told the Times: “So many people have sat me down and said, 'Look, your life will change.’ It is hard to accept that. It’s a baffling thing to be told, to be honest.
“The first part was actually doing the job, preparing for that. And then the second part will be preparing for when it comes out.”
Who else will star in the Doctor Who Christmas special?
Joining Gatwa and Gibson is Davina McCall who will play herself, Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday, Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday, Mary Malone as Trudy, Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood, and Hemi Yeroham as Abdul.
Following the Doctor Who Christmas special, a full series will air in the spring.
The Church on Ruby Road will air at 5.55pm on December 25, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
