Who is in the cast of Doctor Who series 14?

Doctor Who will back for a 14th season in May 2024, led by Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor and Millie Gibson’s new companion Ruby Sunday.

The BBC sci-fi series will return on 11 May for its first full-length season since early 2020, although fans have been treated to several a miniseries and several specials since then.

But who else will star in the long-awaited season, and what can we expect from the new Time Lord’s adventures? Here is everything you need to know…

Who stars in Doctor Who series 14?

Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the next Doctor ahead of the television BAFTA awards in May 2022. While it was presumed he would succeed Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, her final episode The Power Of The Doctor ended with a surprise regeneration into David Tennant, making Gatwa the Fifteenth Doctor.

Speaking to GQ, Davies described Gatwa’s first script readthrough in January 2023: “He’s so unbelievably stunning. I can’t wait for you to see him. He just lifts your hair off your head. He’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, in every sense. So, very excited.”

Gibson was revealed as the Doctor’s new companion Ruby Sunday during the BBC Children In Need telethon in November 2022. Gibson is best known for her award-winning role in ITV’s Coronation Street, in which she played tearaway teen Kelly Neelan.

Since this casting was announced, we’ve had a costume reveal for the Fifteenth Doctor featuring both actors, with Gatwa donning a tartan-checked coat and trousers and an orange jumper. His Doctor also sports a necklace, some rings, and “Gallifreyan nail tattoos”.

We’ve also had several guest cast announcements, led by the return of Jemma Redgrave as UNIT head Kate Stewart. Introduced in 2012’s The Power Of Three, she’s since appeared with Doctors David Tennant, Matt Smith, John Hurt, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker, and she and UNIT will be back with Gatka’s Doctor in Episodes 4 and 5 of the next series.

Frozen and Mindhunter star Jonathan Groff has joined the series in an as-yet-unspecified guest role. On joining Doctor Who, Groff said: “I am so thrilled to jump into the extraordinary mind of Russell T Davies and watch the incredible Ncuti Gatwa soar in this iconic role!”

Also joining the show is Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan who will join Gatwa in an as-yet-undisclosed role. That said, we did get a quick glimpse at her character via the official Doctor Who Instagram account.

“I’m excited to join the Whoniverse under the leadership of the inimitable Russell T Davies," said Coughlan on joining the show. "I’ve been a fan of Ncuti Gatwa for some time and getting to share the screen with him as the Doctor has been an absolute joy”.

Davies added: “This has been the most brilliant shoot, with Nicola lighting up the set and bringing joy. From Derry, via Bridgerton, to the TARDIS, it’s the trip of a lifetime.”

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner Jinkx Monsoon will also appear in an as-yet-unnamed villainous role that has been teased as "The Doctor’s most powerful enemy."

Reportedly playing a major role in the Doctor's latest outing, showrunner Russel T Davies revealed that their character is on "a collision course with the TARDIS".

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Torchwood star Indira Varma will appear as a mysterious character named the Duchess.

"I’m thrilled to be in Doctor Who and particularly excited to be crossing cosmic paths with Ncuti, as the Doctor, and look forward to creating interplanetary mischief with him," said Varma, marking her second collaboration with Davies following her performance as Suzi Costello in Torchwood.

"I loved playing Suzie Costello for Russell T Davies in Torchwood so am thrilled to be entering this world again."

Davies added: "I’m overjoyed to be reunited with Indira after our Torchwood days, and this part is truly spectacular! A whole new audience will be hiding behind the settee when the Duchess unleashes her terror."

Bonnie Langford will return to the franchise as Melanie Bush, a former companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors played by Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy respectively. She also made a cameo appearance in Jodie Whittaker's final episode.

Of her return, Bonnie Langford said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing Melanie Bush back. To be part of the exceptional cast, crew and production team led by the force of nature that is Russell T Davies is a career highlight.

"I’m so privileged and proud to have been a member of the Doctor Who family since the classic era and to be included in the new generation is phenomenal.”

Davies said in his own statement: “Open those TARDIS doors wide, because Bonnie’s back! What an honour, delight and hoot to welcome back the character of Melanie, after too long away.

"And this isn’t just a cameo, Bonnie is right in the thick of the action, battling monsters and chaos and cliffhangers, right at the Doctor's side, just like the old days.”

Other newcomers include Aneurin Barnard (Peaky Blinders, The Personal History Of David Copperfield) as a mysterious new character named Roger ap Gwilliam and Jack Forsyth-Noble (Life After Life, Casting Kill) as Will.

Anita Dobson (EastEnders) will return as Mrs Flood alongside Michelle Greenridge (After Life, It’s A Sin) as Carla Sunday and Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday. Genesis Lynea (Death in Paradise, Shadow and Bone), Millie Kent (The Split), Sophie Ablett (Taboo) and Lenny Rush are also among the guest stars announced so far.

Doctor Who Magazine revealed that Still So Awkward star Billy Brayshaw and Hollyoaks actor Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy will also join the show.

"In the 2024 series, it's a delight to open the studio doors to a former star of Holloaks with Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy," said producer Phil Collinson. "His character in the 'Oaks, Jesse, died of alcohol poisoning on his wedding day, so let's hope he has a more peaceful time in the Whoniverse. Although I can't promise!

"And, in a separate episode, we're delighted to say hello to Billy Brayshaw. And there are so more names to come!"

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Davies welcomes composer Murray Gold back to the show to soundtrack the Doctor's latest adventures.

Gold originally accompanied Davies when he rebooted the series back in 2005, going on to provide many now-iconic scores for the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth Doctors, alongside themes for Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, the Daleks, the Master and the Cybermen.

What happens in Doctor Who series 14?

At this early stage, plot details for Doctor Who series 14 are firmly under wraps, but there’s been a steady stream of news about adventures to come.

According to the series' official synopsis, "audiences will see the Doctor and Ruby travel through time and space on adventures to unknown lands, to the Regency era in England, to outer space worlds and the sixties."

It was confirmed in March that Steven Moffat would return to the franchise to write an episode. He famously took over the role of showrunner from Russell T Davies during Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's eras as the Doctor. But Moffat also wrote some of the show's best loved episodes, including Blink, while Davies was showrunner.

Speaking about his return, Moffat said: "Yes, okay, fair enough - apologies to everyone I’ve very slightly misled - I am in fact writing an episode of the series of Doctor Who. Exactly like I said I never would.

"What can I tell you? There was begging, there was pleading but finally Russell agreed to let me have another go - so long as I got out of his garden. Working with old friends and a brand new Doctor I couldn’t be happier.

"Sorry I was a bit reticent on the subject for so long. It was all part of an elaborate plan that would have delighted millions but at the last minute I forgot what it was."

We recently received word that the new series will welcome two brand new writers, including Kate Herron and Briony Redman who will join forces to write a new episode for Gatwa's fifteenth Doctor.

While details of what their adventure will entail are still locked away, both come hot off other critically acclaimed projects. Herron executive produced and directed the entire first season of Loki for Marvel and Disney+, while Redman is an actor, comedian and BAFTA Rocliffe-winning writer who penned Welsh crime comedy caper Pont Brec.

The pair have collaborated on a number of projects that blend sci-fi and comedy, making them the perfect pick for Doctor Who.

Elsewhere, Davies shed some details on an upcoming episode that will feature The Beatles. Whilst speaking to journalists during a round table event, the show's current Executive Producer teased an adventure that'll bring Gatwa's Doctor face-to-face with the Fab Four - but by the sounds of it, it won't be a smooth ride.

"This is Abbey Road in 1963. It’s very unbuilt at the moment," said Davies, showing journalist a range of production images. "This is going to be Studio 1 at Abbey Road – the big studio, the big orchestral studio.

"It has to be said, there’s a great big battle in here to save the universe, with people being flung all over the place and a moving piano."

Interestingly, this won't be the first time The Beatles have appeared on Doctor Who having popped up on a TV screen during 1966's The Chase.

Beyond Series 14, 2024 might also see a variety of spin-offs. In his previous stewardship of Doctor Who, RTD launched Torchwood on BBC Three and The Sarah Jane Adventures on CBBC, and before announcing his return, he spoke in 2021 about how Doctor Who should have a Marvel-sized inter-connected universe of shows.

Speaking to journalist Paul Kirkley, he said: "You look at those Disney announcements, of all those new Star Wars and Marvel shows, you think, we should be sitting here announcing The Nyssa Adventures or The Return of Donna Noble, and you should have the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors together in a 10-part series.”

Since the news of Davies’ return and that Disney+ deal, there have been various reports about spin-offs involving new and returning characters from the worlds of Doctor Who under the banner of “Whoniverse”.

These were seemingly backed up by a post on Gatwa’s Instagram in January, where he poses in front of a Whoniverse logo featuring his Doctor on the wall at Bad Wolf Studios.

Maybe we won’t get The Nyssa Adventures, but true to Davies’ word, the Whoniverse is opening up and it all begins with the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday, coming soon to our TV screens.

Doctor Who series 14 returns on Saturday 11 May on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+.