Coronation Street star Millie Gibson has been replaced as the companion for Ncuti Gatwa’s second series on Doctor Who.
The 19-year-old made her debut on the sci-fi BBC show over the festive period in the Christmas special. However it’s reported that showrunner Russell T Davies made the decision to replace her after she filmed her first series.
Now Millie, who plays Ruby Sunday on the cult favourite, is not set to appear in this year’s Christmas special, which will air in December. But she will still feature as the Doctor’s companion in the eight regular episodes due to air in May.
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But for future episodes, Millie will not be the companion and will be replaced by actress Varada Seethu. The 32-year-old actress has already started filming at the Cardiff studios.
(Image: Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Bad Wolf)
A source told The Mirror: “Varada is a real gem, Russell was just blown away by her talent. The cast and crew have really warmed to her and he’s sure the fans will too.”
Ncuti and Millie’s first episodes were popular among viewers, bringing in an audience of 7.3million in its first week. It made it one of the biggest BBC shows of 2023.
(Image: WireImage)
It’s reported that Millie filmed for three months before Christmas and will therefore appear in a handful of episodes in her second series. It’s said she will return only “to tie up loose ends”.
The source added: “Millie Gibson has all but left now and there’s a brand new companion, which is really exciting. Russell is keeping things moving and isn’t letting the grass grow, that’s for sure.”
Millie, who played Kelly Neelan in Corrie, is believed to be back for just three out of eight episodes in the second series. One of them is said to be a standalone which will bring her story to a close.
(Image: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sky)
She will leave the role of companion in good hands, though. Varada has appeared in a number of major shows and movies.
The star has Star Wars spin-off Andor, Sky drama Strike Back and dino film Jurassic World Dominion on her CV. And she will get to enjoy a bigger budget on Doctor Who, after the BBC made a new deal for the show under Disney.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
