{"id":11654,"date":"2022-03-01T17:17:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1594033"},"modified":"2022-03-01T17:17:07","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:17:07","slug":"who-will-be-the-new-doctor-who-companion","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/who-will-be-the-new-doctor-who-companion\/","title":{"rendered":"Who will be the new Doctor Who companion?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Radio Times staff\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 01 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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By: Sab Astley<\/strong><\/p>\n

With production on Russell T Davies\u2019 second run on <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span><\/a> gearing up, rumours are rampant about who could be the next Doctor, with<\/span> some strong contenders<\/span><\/a> in the mix. But what about the co-lead of the series, the Doctor\u2019s partner in time, the all-important companion?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, since Davies announced his return, we\u2019ve seen reports claiming that stars of <\/span>It\u2019s a Sin, Sex Education, Foundation, Being Human <\/span>and even the return of former companions could be on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans themselves have been speculating, theorising and fan-casting for Davies\u2019 next season, with ideas of Georgia Tennant returning as Jenny, or perhaps the grandchild of Ian and Barbara boarding the TARDIS. Some fans have even suggested pivoting away from a contemporary earth companion and moving toward a non-human companion like Handles or Rusty, or a historical companion in the vein of Frazer Hines\u2019 Jamie McCrimmon from the classic series.<\/span><\/p>\n

So who has been rumoured for season 14, and is there any evidence to support them? Check out our top candidates for the next companion below.<\/span><\/p>

Who will be the new Doctor Who companion?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tanya Reynolds<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""tanya\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Tanya Reynolds<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Best known for her role as <\/span>Sex Education<\/span>\u2019s Lily Iglehart, Reynolds name was thrown into contention when reports suggested the BBC was eyeing her for a role in Davies\u2019 return to Who. Specifically, The Sun<\/a> has claimed that producers are keen on Reynolds because she\u2019d be a \u201cunique sidekick\u201d, comparing her to the likes of Billie Piper and Jenna Coleman. However, the report also notes the dilemma for Reynolds as it would require Lily\u2019s role to be lessened for <\/span>Sex Ed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reynolds certainly fits the mould for companions \u2013 while she\u2019s already a rising star in Britain appearing in <\/span>Fanny Lye Deliver\u2019d <\/span>as well as <\/span>Emma,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Doctor Who <\/span>could give her the same catapult to fame as Karen Gillan when she was cast in 2009. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Reynolds appears to have a busy slate over the coming months, with a role in HBO\u2019s <\/span>The Baby<\/span> as well as filming <\/span>Sex Ed<\/span>\u2019s fourth season this spring, around the time Davies\u2019 new take on Who will begin shooting. With that in mind, a 60<\/span>th<\/span> Anniversary appearance may be unlikely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, you never know. <\/span>The Baby<\/span> is only a supporting role, and with <\/span>Sex Ed<\/span>\u2019s production concluding in November, it\u2019s entirely possible that Reynolds could board <\/span>Doctor Who <\/span>in time for later episodes \u2013 maybe even a full season 14, after the 60th celebrations have concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Annabel Scholey<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""Doctor\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

Another possible name floating around is <\/span>Being Human <\/span>and <\/span>The Split<\/span><\/a> star Annabel Scholey. She actually screen-tested in the past as the companion to Matt Smith\u2019s Eleventh Doctor, potentially for Amy Pond or Clara Oswald. More recently, she played Claire in Who\u2019s <\/span>Flux <\/span>miniseries, quickly becoming a fan favourite. In interviews, Scholey has claimed to know \u201cnothing about anything\u201d in regard to season 14\u2019s companion, but she was very happy merely to be considered.<\/span><\/p>\n

From her IMDb, Scholey seemingly has no projects currently in development, making her schedule quite free to be taken up by a project with long production shoots like <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span>. Likewise, Scholey is no stranger to fronting historical adventures, with her stints in <\/span>Britannia<\/span> and <\/span>Medici<\/span> proof of that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, she\u2019s already played a guest character in the series, but it didn\u2019t stop Freema Agyeman\u2026<\/p>\n

Lydia West<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""Lydia\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Lydia West<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

West has been one of the recurring names for the mantle of the 14<\/span>th<\/span> Doctor, but perhaps that\u2019s an intentional smokescreen. Who\u2019s to say she couldn\u2019t be the new Doctor\u2019s best friend instead?<\/span><\/p>\n

She already has a history with the show, voicing Vivien in the Big Finish story \u2018The Sorcerer of Albion\u2019, part of the \u2018Donna Noble: Kidnapped!\u2019 collection. West has also clearly caught the attention of Who showrunner Davies and ex-series boss Steven Moffatt, having worked on <\/span>Years & Years<\/span> and It\u2019s a Sin for Davies and Dracula for Moffat<\/span>, as well as starring in his upcoming <\/span>Inside Man<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Funnily enough, West is also set to star opposite Russell Tovey in upcoming romantic drama <\/span>Text for You<\/span>, <\/span><\/i>one of the candidates posed as a potential 14<\/span>th<\/span> Doctor and a favourite of Davies\u2019. Much like Donna Noble, the <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span> universe continues to swirl around Lydia West in the most perplexing of ways\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

T\u2019Nia Miller<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""T'Nia\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
T\u2019Nia Miller<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Similar to West, Miller also has a history with both Davies and <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span>. She first appeared as a regenerated Time Lord General during 2015\u2019s <\/span>Hell Bent<\/span>, and was recently cast in Davies\u2019 Big Finish story \u2018Mind of the Hodiac.\u2019 She has also been rumoured as a contender for the 14<\/span>th<\/span> Doctor \u2013 however, Miller herself seemingly debunked these reports during a Cameo appearance back in February 2021, claiming to know the identity of the next Doctor, having worked with them and that \u201cyou will absolutely fall in love with them\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller has worked on both <\/span>Years & Years<\/span> and <\/span>Sex Education<\/span>, so she could be referring to one of the actors on this very list; however,<\/span> her recent comments<\/span><\/a> contradict this, implying that if she <\/span>did<\/span><\/i> know the next Doctor, she\u2019s not so sure now. Unless that\u2019s exactly what she wants us to think\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Olly Alexander<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""Olly\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Olly Alexander (GETTY)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

In Summer 2021, rumours swirled that Alexander was set as the 14<\/span>th<\/span> Doctor \u2013 since then, both he and his manager have reaffirmed multiple times that this is NOT the case, but neither have directly denied a potential upcoming appearance. In fact, Alexander has stated in interviews that he\u2019s a big fan of the show, and would like to make an appearance<\/a> sometime in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

One caveat to Alexander as a potential companion is his recently-released 2<\/span>nd<\/span> album <\/span>Night Call<\/span>. He\u2019s set to play a handful of dates that directly conflict with rumoured filming for the 60<\/span>th<\/span> anniversary rumoured in May 2022. However, as is the case with Reynolds, he appears to be free at the end of 2022, around the same time that a full season 14 could begin production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, we\u2019d say we can\u2019t rule him out as a companion \u2013 after all, he\u2019s already faced the Daleks in a Russell T Davies production before thanks to a storyline in It\u2019s A Sin.<\/p>\n

Billie Piper<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""Billie\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Billie Piper (c) Tony Whitmore (1)<\/span><\/figcaption> Big Finish<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Alternatively, could a return from Rose Tyler be on the cards? Early in 2021, Piper claimed she wouldn\u2019t go back to <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span> because of the lengthy shoots, mentioning that it \u201cdominates your life\u201d. However, speaking to<\/span> RadioTimes.com<\/span><\/a> back in September, she admitted that she <\/span>would<\/span><\/i> be open to returning \u201cif the circumstances and the story were right\u201d. Piper\u2019s change in attitude comes at a remarkably coincidental time to the announcement of RTD\u2019s return as showrunner, alongside the surprise rumours of her old co-star David Tennant\u2019s return.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, Piper has been confirmed to return as Rose Tyler for Volumes 2 and 3 of \u2018The Dimension Cannon\u2019 from Big Finish, bridging the gap between Doomsday and her return in season 4. While this may seem a little bit of a stretch, it\u2019s seems that <\/span>something <\/span><\/i>shifted Piper\u2019s perspective over the course of 2021, and it comes at such a coincidentally close time to Davies\u2019 return that there could be a hidden connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Catherine Tate<\/b><\/h2>\n
\""Donna\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

Of course, we could be looking at the wrong ex-Tennant companion.\u00a0A \u2018BBC source\u2019 who supposedly leaked the casting of Sacha Dhawan\u2019s Master in season 12, as well as the upcoming return of the Sea Devils, has claimed online that Tate is in negotiations to return to <\/span>Doctor Who<\/span>, tying directly into Tennant\u2019s reported return. However, this <\/span>wouldn\u2019t <\/span><\/i>be Donna Noble but an entirely different character \u2013 this is likely due to how Donna\u2019s story concluded and the narrative gymnastics necessary to bring her back into the fold.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t be the first time an actor has returned as a different character \u2013 both Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi returned after their appearances in The Fires of Pompeii, and Billie Piper herself came back as the \u2018Bad Wolf Girl\u2019 in <\/span>The Day of the Doctor<\/span>, embodying the conscience of The Moment. In other words there\u2019s certainly precedent for this idea, and similar rumours have swirled that Tate\u2019s co-star Tennant could be back as a \u201cnew\u201d Doctor rather than the same one again. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s worth remembering that Tate was also rumoured to appear in season 13 back in March 2021 which turned out to be untrue, so it\u2019s possible this may also be another dead end.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, predicting the next Doctor has been a notoriously difficult endeavour, so uncovering who the next <\/span>companion<\/span><\/i> could be is even more so \u2013 just as T\u2019Nia Miller has suggested, Davies is unlikely to go for the expected choice and it may even be someone we\u2019re completely unfamiliar with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, at the very least this feels like one of the strongest lists of companion contenders that\u2019s emerged in a while, showcasing some of the best and brightest working in the British industry at the moment. Clearly, no matter who<\/em> is cast as the Doctor\u2019s next companion, they\u2019re sure to be absolutely sensational.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils comes to BBC One this Spring. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi<\/a> page or our full TV Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n

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By Radio Times staff Published: Tuesday, 01 March 2022 at 12:00 am By: Sab Astley With production on Russell T Davies\u2019 second run on Doctor Who gearing up, rumours are rampant about who could be the next Doctor, with some strong contenders in the mix. But what about the co-lead of the series, the Doctor\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Radio Times staff Published: Tuesday, 01 March 2022 at 12:00 am By: Sab Astley With production on Russell T Davies\u2019 second run on Doctor Who gearing up, rumours are rampant about who could be the next Doctor, with some strong contenders in the mix. But what about the co-lead of the series, the Doctor\u2019s…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/11654"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}