May 11th 2024.
Our beloved soap stars have been on some incredible adventures, spanning across both time and space. The highly anticipated new series of Doctor Who is set to premiere next week, featuring former Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson in her first full series aboard the TARDIS. Surprisingly, there are even more connections to soap operas in this new season than one might expect.
Millie, who is only 19 years old, previously graced the screens of ITV's Coronation Street for three years before embarking on her journey to outer space as Ruby Sunday in the Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road. Joining forces with Sex Education and Barbie icon Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, the upcoming episodes will see them face off against The Beatles and drag superstar Jinkx Monsoon as the wicked mastermind Maestro. Familiar faces from the soap world, such as Anita Dobson, will also make appearances as the mysterious Mrs Flood.
The relaunch of Doctor Who under showrunner Russell T Davies has sparked renewed interest in the classic episodes available on BBC iPlayer. And if you've been tuning in, you may have noticed some familiar faces from the world of soap operas. Let's take a closer look at some of these exciting crossovers.
In 1973, long before she became the iconic chain-smoking Dot Cotton on EastEnders, June Brown appeared in The Time Warrior as Lady Eleanor, a 13th century aristocrat. Alongside the third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee, she helped to prevent a robber baron from invading her castle. This episode is significant for being the first mention of the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey, and for introducing the villainous Sontarans.
Helen Worth, best known for her role as Gail Rodwell on Coronation Street, also made an appearance during the third Doctor's era in 1971. She played Mary Ashe, the daughter of a colony leader on the planet Uxarieus in the year 2472. In a documentary celebrating Gail's four decades on the show, Helen spoke fondly of her time on Doctor Who and even revealed that she receives more fan mail for her role on the sci-fi series than for her role on the long-running soap.
Rudolph Walker, who is currently involved in a major storyline on EastEnders, made an appearance in The War Games in 1969, 32 years before he joined the cast of the popular soap as Patrick Trueman. He played Harper, a soldier in the American Civil War who was kidnapped by the War Lords. This episode is also notable for being the last appearance of Jamie McCrimmon, played by Emmerdale's Frazer Hines.
In a fun twist, Angela Wynter, who currently portrays Yolande on EastEnders, will also appear in the new series of Doctor Who as Ruby's grandmother Cherry Sunday. She will continue to juggle both roles, proving her versatility as an actress. And speaking of soapy connections, did you know that you can receive all the latest updates and spoilers from your favorite soap operas on WhatsApp? Join the Metro Soaps WhatsApp community to stay in the know and get access to exclusive content.
Rula Lenska, who is known for her role as Audrey Roberts' rival Claudia Colby on Coronation Street, had a small part in the 1984 episode Resurrection of the Daleks as medical officer Elizabeth Styles. Interestingly, she was considered for a more significant role in the series but ultimately lost out to her future co-star Maureen Lipman. Rula has also lent her voice to several audio dramas and was nearly cast as Jo Grant, a companion to the third Doctor.
And last but certainly not least, Michelle Collins, who has graced the screens of both EastEnders and Coronation Street, played Captain Kathryn McDonnell in the 2007 episode 42 alongside David Tennant's tenth Doctor. Her character made the ultimate sacrifice to save her crew by opening an airlock and plunging into the sun. Michelle recently reflected on her time on the show during an episode of The One Show with her fellow soap stars, Ncuti and Millie. It just goes to show that the worlds of soap operas and Doctor Who often collide in the most unexpected and exciting ways.
Our beloved soap stars have certainly had some extraordinary experiences over the years. And now, we can look forward to seeing former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson embark on her own adventure in the upcoming series of Doctor Who. But what you may not know is that there are even more connections between the world of soaps and the iconic sci-fi show than you could imagine.
At just 19 years old, Millie spent three years on the cobbled streets of Weatherfield before trading them in for the vastness of outer space in the Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road. In the new series, she will be joined by the talented Ncuti Gatwa, known for his roles in Sex Education and as the voice of Barbie, as they encounter The Beatles and drag superstar Jinkx Monsoon, who will play the evil genius Maestro. And let's not forget soap royalty Anita Dobson, who will reprise her role as the mysterious Mrs Flood.
The return of showrunner Russell T Davies has reignited interest in the classic episodes of Doctor Who, which are now available on BBC iPlayer. And if you've been tuning in, you may have spotted some familiar faces from the world of soap. Let's take a closer look at some of these memorable appearances.
June Brown, who is best known for her iconic role as Dot Cotton in EastEnders, made a guest appearance in the 1973 episode The Time Warrior as Lady Eleanor, a 13th century aristocrat who joined forces with The Doctor to stop a robber baron from invading her castle. This episode is significant for being the first mention of Gallifrey, the timelord's home planet, and for introducing the Sontarans, a familiar enemy in the Doctor Who universe.
Another soap legend, Helen Worth, also made a guest appearance in the 1971 episode Colony in Space as Mary Ashe, the daughter of a colony leader on a distant planet. Helen, who is best known for her role as Gail Rodwell in Coronation Street, even revealed that she receives more fan mail for her appearance in Doctor Who than for her long-standing role in the popular soap.
And who could forget Rudolph Walker, who currently stars in a gripping storyline on EastEnders as Patrick Trueman, but 32 years ago played Harper in The War Games. In this episode, Harper, a soldier in the American Civil War, was kidnapped by the War Lords and ultimately met his demise. This episode is also notable for being the last appearance of companion Jamie McCrimmon, played by Frazer Hines, who soap fans may recognize as Emmerdale's Joe Sugden.
In an interesting twist, Angela Wynter, who currently stars in EastEnders as Yolande Trueman, will also be making an appearance in the new series of Doctor Who as Ruby's grandmother Cherry Sunday. It seems the BBC can't get enough of this talented actress.
But it's not just these familiar faces that have graced the screen in both the world of soap and Doctor Who. Rula Lenska, known for her role as Audrey Roberts' rival Claudia Colby in Coronation Street, appeared in the 1984 episode Resurrection of the Daleks as medical officer Elizabeth Styles. And Michelle Collins, who has played both Cindy Beale in EastEnders and Stella Price in Coronation Street, also made an appearance in the 2007 episode 42 as Captain Kathryn McDonnell.
As we eagerly await the new series of Doctor Who, it's clear that soap stars have made a significant impact on the iconic show over the years. And with the return of showrunner Russell T Davies, it's the perfect time to revisit these classic episodes and rediscover these beloved soap stars in a whole new light. Who knows, we may even see more familiar faces in the future.
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