Doctor Who star Millie Gibson is just a week away from making her long-awaited debut on the BBC show, as the Time Lord’s new companion Ruby Sunday.
And the actress, 19, is already being tipped to land a major US role in 2024, following in the footsteps of other TARDIS favourites such as Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan and Catherine Tate.
Millie rose to fame as Kelly Neelan on the ITV soap Coronation Street, but after leaving the soap in 2022, was revealed as The Doctor’s glamorous new companion.
She is set to make her debut alongside Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who’s Christmas Special, The Church on Ruby Road.
Having already displayed her acting skills on a gritty soap, Brand and culture expert Nick Ede has predicted that Millie’s appearance on Doctor Who will make her ‘one to watch in 2024.’
Doctor Who star Millie Gibson has been tipped to land a major US role in 2024, ahead of her long-awaited debut in the TARDIS on Christmas Day
The actress’ first scenes as companion Ruby Sunday will hit screens on Christmas Day, alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the new incarnation of the Time Lord
He told The Sun: ‘Millie tackled some really heavy storylines in Corrie, which will show Hollywood producers she’s adept at lots of roles and is a very believable actress.
‘Paired with her good looks and terrific personality, I can see her being cast in a blockbuster quicker than you can say Tardis.’
Nick added that following a big-budget deal with Disney+, the new series of Doctor Who will be its most-watched yet, and could turn Millie and Ncuti into global stars.
He added: ‘The popularity of Doctor Who means that Millie will be busy promoting the show and filming new seasons so I can expect her to even get her own spin-off on Disney if she becomes a fan favourite.’
Millie herself has previously described Jodie Comer as an idol, with the Killing Eve star herself cracking Hollywood after earning acclaim for her performance in the BBC America series.
She told Lorraine Kelly: ‘I love Jodie Comer. I’m obsessed with Jodie Comer. All of her work is just incredible and her career path is just very idealistic for me.’
Millie originally signed for just five episodes on Corrie, and she credited her time on the soap for providing her with such a strong work ethic.
She told The Sunday Times: ‘Before I went in to Corrie I was like, ‘Well, how hard can it be?’ But it’s really hard. I mean, they work so quickly.
Millie rose to fame as Kelly Neelan on the ITV soap Coronation Street , but after leaving the soap in 2022, was revealed as The Doctor’s glamorous new companion
Having already displayed her acting skills on a gritty soap, Brand and culture expert Nick Ede has predicted that Millie’s appearance on Doctor Who will make her ‘one to watch in 2024’
‘There was one point when Kelly’s storyline was so big we were doing ten scenes a day. That’s a lot of dialogue, a lot of turning on the tears in two seconds.’
Millie has also become known for a distinctive scar in her eyebrow, which she previously shared happened when ‘fell down the stairs as a baby.’
The star decided to leave Corrie ‘on a whim’ last year, though the door has been left open for her character Kelly to return in the future.
Millie previously stated her decision to leave the soap surprised her parents, but she explained she wanted to embrace the chance to try out new roles while she isn’t tied down by ‘children’ or ‘mortgages.’
She has also kept her love life noticeably under wraps, though in April it was reported that she was dating music label owner Tom Neatis.
Airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, the festive special sees the Doctor come face-to-face with the mythical and mysterious goblins as his life collides with Ruby.
Little is known about Ruby Sunday as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby.
Now living with her mum, Carla and grandmother, Cherry her world is about to be turned upside when she encounters the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together…
Alongside Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson is Davina McCall who will be playing herself as she joins the cast alongside Michelle Greenidge as Ruby’s mum Carla, Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.
Millie herself has previously described Jodie Comer as an idol, saying: ‘All of her work is just incredible and her career path is just very idealistic for me’
Davina said: ‘It is beyond an honour to be asked to appear in not only Doctor Who but also Ncuti’s first episode as the new Doctor.
‘It was such an extraordinary experience and Russell has written you all a Christmas delight! Now I just can’t wait for everyone to see it!’
Russell T Davies, Showrunner adds ‘From Day One in this job, I wanted Doctor Who back on Christmas Day!
‘And with Ncuti, Millie, Davina and the Goblin King, I hope it’s a feast for all the family!’
The Doctor Who Christmas Special airs on Christmas Day at 5:55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
