NEXT BIG THING

MILLIE GIBSON IS HITTING THE BIG TIME

Every day was just crazy,’ says a cheery Millie Gibson. The 19-year-old former Coronation Street star has every reason to be happy. After filming for much of the year, on Christmas Day she’ll step into the TARDIS, and the limelight, as the new companion to Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor. ‘I think I’m just going to hibernate for the first few weeks of Christmas,’ she chuckles.

How did Doctor Who happen?

I actually got my first audition through on my last day at Corrie. I would never have guessed I’d get a part so quickly. I was thinking, ‘It’d be nice to get a cough and spit in a drama or something.’ But I actually got Doctor Who. I was like, ‘Oh my God!’

What can we expect from your character, Ruby Sunday?

She is very cool. Her dynamic with the Doctor is like two girls at school gossiping. They’re very cliquey. The Doctor’s not had that sort of dynamic before. It’s really beautiful to see come alive. She’s a cool chick, you know?

Did you look to any previous companions for inspiration?

Yeah. The one I really migrated to was Amy Pond. I’ve actually spoken to Karen Gillan on DM over the past few months. She was like, ‘I’ve only just found out about Instagram DMs, but hi, how are you?’ [laughs] She’s such a beautifully gifted actress. And the fact that she’s gone on to Marvel is so iconic. She was really, really supportive.

Is film acting something you aspire to?

Oh my gosh, definitely. I’m a bit of a film buff. I love Letterboxd. One random day on Doctor Who, I was like, ‘Why am I getting so many notifications on Letterboxd?’ Somebody found [my account]. They were reading my reviews of Disney films, and taking them really seriously. I was like, ‘This is so embarrassing.’ I’m going to make a secret account now for all my guilty pleasures.

DOCTOR WHO: THE CHURCH ON RUBY ROAD AIRS ON BBC1 AND BBC iPLAYER ON CHRISTMAS DAY.