Doctor Who‘s Ncuti Gatwa is getting a new companion. After making her debut on the long-running sci-fi series in its December 2023 Christmas special, Millie Gibson is exiting the show after one season. Read on to discover the details of her last stint in the program and the new actress taking over her role.
Have we seen the last Millie Gibson in Doctor Who?
Gibson is set to reprise her role as the Doctor’s companion, Ruby Sunday, in Doctor Who season 14, which is set to premiere in May 2024 on the BBC in the United Kingdom, and Disney+ in the United States and other international markets.
However, Gibson, who is also known for her role as Kelly Neelan in the soap opera Coronation Street, will no longer be part of Doctor Who season 15, which is currently shooting in Wales, Sethu. As first reported by The Daily Mirror and later confirmed by Variety, Doctor Who will introduce a new companion to Ncuti Gatwa’s the Doctor and that new character will be played Varada Sethu. Details about Sethu’s Doctor Who role are currently being kept under wraps.
Varada Sethu’s early life and filmography
Varada Sethu is an Indian-born British actress, born in 1992, who has been making waves in the film and television industry. Here’s a closer look at her early life and expanding filmography:
Early Life
Sethu, along with her twin sister Abhaya, was born in Kerala, India, and later moved to the U.K. (specifically in Benton, Tyne and Wear) with her family at a young age. She attended Dame Allan’s Schools and was a member of the National Youth Theatre. Although Sethu went on to study veterinary medicine at the University of Bristol and later switched to physiology, she continued her acting education at the Identity School of Acting in London.
Filmography
Sethu began her acting career in the early 2010s, appearing in theater productions and short films like Impressions. After appearing in the movies Sket (2011), English: An Autumn in London (2012), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), her big break came when she landed a role in the Hollywood blockbuster Now You See Me 2 (2016). She played Luka, the assistant to Michael Caine’s character Arthur Tressler, and impressed audiences with her sharp wit and screen presence. Following this success, Sethu landed recurring roles in popular British TV series like New Blood (2016) and Doctor Foster (2017).
In 2018, Sethu took on the role of Detective Sergeant Mishal Ali in the BBC apocalyptic thriller series Hard Sun. Her portrayal of the determined and resourceful detective earned her critical acclaim and further solidified her position as a rising star. Since then, Sethu has continued to impress with her diverse roles in projects like the Star Wars Disney+ series Andor (2022) and the action-adventure film Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Annika (2023) and Mrs Sidhi Investigates (2023) are her most recent acting credits.
