Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa has his own Mrs Flood theory

Could he be on to something?

By Louise Griffin

Published: Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 11:27 AM

Since Christmas Day, every Doctor Who fan has been wondering who on Earth Anita Dobson’s Mrs Flood could be – and that includes the Doctor himself, Ncuti Gatwa.

The Church on Ruby Road, the epic Christmas Day special, introduced Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday, and also blessed us with Dobson’s mysterious Mrs Flood, with the final scene proving there’s more to the character than meets the eye.

With a wink to camera, she asked: “Never seen a TARDIS before?” proving she knows a lot more about Time Lords – and potentially about the Doctor – than we ever could have imagined.

However, recently speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, Gatwa revealed he has no idea who Mrs Flood actually is – but he does have a theory.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in The Church on Ruby Road wearing a leather jacket, with a Christmassy tree in the background
Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in The Church on Ruby Road.
BBC Studios/James Pardon

“She must’ve been a companion, right?” he asked, with Gibson also making it clear that she doesn’t have a clue either.

Showrunner Russell T Davies has suggested that we won’t find out the true identity of Mrs Flood for a long time, describing the mystery as a “slow-burn“.

Speaking on Doctor Who: Unleashed, showrunner Davies said: “Mrs Flood is a mysterious character. You will eventually find out more about her. She’s a slow burn, Mrs Flood. Who is Mrs Flood? Come back and find out!”

Dobson, meanwhile, wasn’t giving anything away, saying: “Today what you see is a friendly neighbour. What the future may be, no one knows. Russell is writing it as we speak.”

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After Unleashed host Steffan Powell suggested she could end up being an evil genius, Dobson mused: “I might, I might not.”

The new season of Doctor Who will see the Doctor and Ruby fly off on plenty more adventures, including one with Jonathan Groff in the regency period, one with the Beatles in the 1960s, and facing Jinkx Monsoon’s mysterious new villain.