Welcome back, Kate Stewart!
One character who is back to play a key role in Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary special The Giggle – and beyond – is Kate Stewart.
The third instalment reuniting David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor with Catherine Tate as Donna Noble continues from the cliffhanger ending of Wild Blue Yonder that even saw a cameo from the late Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott.
The official synopsis for the episode reads: “The giggle of a mysterious puppet is driving the human race insane. When the Doctor discovers the return of the terrifying Toymaker, he faces a fight he can never win.”
Kate Stewart returns to aid The Doctor against the all-powerful Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris.
So who is Kate Stewart and the actor Jemma Redgrave who portrays her?
Who is Kate Stewart in Doctor Who?
Kate Stewart, born Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart, is the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of UNIT and an ally of The Doctor.
The character is also the daughter of the long-running recurring ally to The Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), a much-loved character from the classic series.
Kate made her debut in the 2012 story The Power of Three, opposite Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.
The character returned in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor in 2013 before becoming a recurring character in the era of the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), appearing in the episodes Death in Heaven, The Magician’s Apprentice, The Zygon Invasion, and The Zygon Inversion.
Stewart made a comeback as part of the Flux season in 2021 in the episodes Survivors of the Flux and The Vanquishers, opposite Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
The following year, Stewart appeared as an ally of The Doctor in the centenary special The Power of the Doctor, which also served as the final episode of the Thirteenth Doctor.
The character returns to aid the Fourteenth Doctor in the 60th anniversary special The Giggle and will be a recurring character in the first season to star Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Who is actor Jemma Redgrave in Doctor Who?
Jemma Redgrave is a British actress known for her television and stage roles.
Redgrave is also a member of the Redgrave acting dynasty as the daughter of actor Corin Redgrave and his first wife Deirdre Hamilton-Hill, a former fashion model.
Jemma is the granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, meaning she is also the niece of actresses Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave.
Through these relationships, Redgrave is also the cousin of Joely Richardson, Carlo Nero and the late Natasha Richardson.
Outside of her role as Kate Stewart, Jemma Redgrave is known for her parts as Major Berenice Wolfe in Holby City, and Amelia in Grantchester, as well as parts in Bramwell, Cold Blood, Judge John Deed, and Waking the Dead.
Doctor Who: The Giggle airs at 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 9th December 2023. Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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