NCUTI GATWA will take centre stage as Doctor Who on Christmas Day — but it could be the Time Lord’s glam new assistant who is destined for the stars.
Industry insiders have already tipped Millie Gibson to follow in the footsteps of previous Tardis sidekicks to Hollywood fame.
The 19-year-old actress has appeared destined for greatness since first appearing as Kelly Neelan on Coronation Street four years ago and claiming the Best Young Actor gong at the British Soap Awards last year.
Millie described her role as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who as like a “gift” — and you don’t need to journey into the future to know that appearing as a companion to sci-fi’s most famous time traveller can open up a wealth of blockbuster roles.
After breaking through in the BBC hit series, Karen Gillan has become a Marvel superhero in Guardians Of The Galaxy, Jenna Coleman has led glossy TV epics including Victoria, while Billie Piper, who kick-started the Who reboot alongside Christopher Ecclestone in 2005, is now an Olivier Award-winning West End star.
Even established comedy star Catherine Tate, who returned this month as David Tennant’s companion Donna Noble, went on to crack America by appearing in the US version of The Office following her initial Doctor Who stint in 2008.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede predicts the role will make Millie “one to watch in 2024” as casting directors fight it out to cash in on her mass popularity.
He said: “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.”
Born Amelia Eve Gibson, Millie was raised 12 miles outside of Manchester in the village of Broadbottom, in Tameside.
Aged 11, she started drama lessons at Oldham Theatre Workshop, famed for nurturing Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire, Bafta-winning Vigil star Suranne Jones and ex-Emmerdale regular Kelvin Fletcher.
Within a year, Millie was signed by talent agency Scream Management and bagged her first TV role in 2017 CBBC show Jamie Johnson aged 13.
It was followed by the BBC One drama Love, Lies And Records and ITV mini-series Butterfly before she caught the eye of the Coronation Street team.
Millie was signed up for five episodes as troubled Kelly in 2019 but impressed so much that her contract was extended.
She would spend nearly four years on the soap, featuring in some of its hardest-hitting storylines, including her character dealing with her mum’s death from cancer, being taken hostage and wrongly imprisoned for murder.
The actress, who says she aspires to be like Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, credits the soap’s six-episodes-a-week filming schedule for giving her a good work ethic.
She said: “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.
“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.”
While speaking to Lorraine Kelly, Millie said she wanted to follow in idol Jodie's footsteps.
She said: "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 also impressed co-stars including Mikey North — the show’s Gary Windass — who described her as “better than any young actress” he had ever worked with.
He added: “What- ever she chooses to do in her career will be amazing.”
It’s not just her acting talent that has helped her to stand out. Millie believes a distinctive mark above her right eyebrow left viewers curious about her too.
She revealed: “It’s a scar. I fell down the stairs as a baby and the hair’s just never grown back, but everyone thinks I’ve done it myself.
“In all my baby pictures I look like a right thug.”
It was reported in April that Millie was dating music label owner Tom Neatis after they were spotted holding hands during a romantic stroll on the streets of Salerno, Italy — but she has since kept her love life under wraps.
Her talent was recognised at the British Soap Awards in June last year, where she humbly claimed: “I’ve been unbelievably lucky.”
Two months later it emerged that she would be leaving Weatherfield — which she described as “home” — much to the shock of her parents.
She explained: “They thought I was crazy. They were like, ‘Why on earth?’
“It’s such a secure position. I was like, ‘Of course, but that’s what the thing is. I don’t need to be secure at the minute’. I need to spread my wings and see what can happen. And nothing could, but I would have regretted it if I hadn’t tried.”
The teen added that she felt she could take the bold move while she had “no responsibilities” like “having children” or “a mortgage to pay”.
She said: “I left on a whim. Thank God they didn’t kill off my character, so I could come crawling back.”
Millie’s “superstitious” aunt believes “fate” may have played a part in landing her new role.
On her final day of filming for Corrie she received a call from her agent inviting her to audition for Doctor Who’s sidekick.
The day after her last appearance in the soap aired, she performed a screen test alongside Ncuti.
And it turned out Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies had monitored Millie’s career since her soap debut.
He said: “As a Coronation Street fan, I’ve seen Millie survive chases, guns and sieges, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday.”
Millie was sworn to secrecy when she landed the role in October last year and revealed she discovered the news while “waiting to dry off” after getting a spray tan ahead of the National Television Awards.
She recalled: “I got this WhatsApp call, asking me to join the call with all my agents.
“I picked up the phone and they were like, ‘Are you good at keeping secrets?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’
They said, ‘Are you really good at keeping secrets? ’Cos you’ve got it.’”
A month later Millie was announced as The Doctor’s new companion during BBC’s Children In Need.
She revealed former stars including Jodie Whittaker, who played the 13th incarnation of the Time Lord, sent her texts offering their support.
Karen Gillan, who played Amy Pond, had a bit of advice for her, warning: “It’s only going to get crazier from here.”
Millie admitted she was “bracing” herself for the show to air and says “it doesn’t seem real” even now.
She added: “It feels like we’ve made a lovely little project and it’s never going to be released to the world but it is. I’ve got to wrap my head around that.”
But Millie may need to brace herself for more fanfare than previous companions, because this series is tipped to be the most popular to date.
That is due to the BBC partnering with Disney+, which will broadcast the show in all regions outside of the UK and Ireland.
Brand expert Nick believes this collaboration could see Millie’s success eclipse even the most famous previous Doctor Who companions.
He added: “Now it’s being streamed on Disney+ globally, this will increase the Doctor Who fandom.
“In turn, it will make Ncuti and Millie globally famous, much like the power of Bridgerton made Rege Jean Page a globally recognised star and propelled Nicola McLaughlin, from Derry Girls to superstardom.
“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 started filming the show in May and has described working with Ncuti as “like a masterclass every day”, adding: “I think he’s made me a better actor.”
We have just a week to wait until the Whovians cast their verdict.
As for Millie’s future, you might need a Tardis to fit in the opportunities that await.
BILLIE PIPER Character: Rose Tyler
Doctors: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant. Years: 2005-06, 2008, 2013.
Scooped several awards for Doctor Who. It helped the former pop star, 41, transition to become a serious actress.
CATHERINE TATE Character: Donna Noble.
Doctors: David Tennant, Ncuti Gatwa. Years: 2008-10, 2023.
Well-known as a comic, the exposure in Doctor Who helped the 54-year-old actress land parts in the US The Office, Christmas movie Nativity 3 and the Hollywood blockbuster Gulliver’s Travels.
Karen Gillan Character: Amy Pond Doctor: Matt Smith. Years: 2010-12, 2013.
As well as her role of Nebula in the Marvel films, Karen, 36, has starred in the Jumanji franchise and been in The Simpsons.
JENNA COLEMAN Character: Clara Oswald
Doctors: Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi
Years: 2012-15, 2017
Went on to star as Queen Victoria in ITV’s historical drama. Jenna, 37, also played a femme fatale in the crime thriller The Serpent and earned critical acclaim this year for her West End debut in the play Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons.
