Gridlock

Brannigan (Ardal O'Hanlon)
feline a little catty

One episode (Gridlock)
First broadcast Apr 14 2007
Average audience for story: 8.41m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) Born Mar 20 1979 Click here for Freema Agyeman's entry on Army of Ghosts

GUEST CAST

Georgine Anderson (May Cassini) Feb 8 1928 to Feb 15 2024
Career highlights
Georgine's earliest role was in 1958's Private Investigator, followed by roles in No Hiding Place (1961), The Queen and the Rebels (1963), Undermind (1965), Dixon of Dock Green (1967), Fraud Squad (1970), Persuasion (1971), A Family at War (1971-72), A Pin to See the Peepshow (1973), Upstairs, Downstairs (1975), Love for Lydia (1977), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978), Matilda's England (1979), Enemy at the Door (1980), The Woman in White (1982), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Blott on the Landscape (1985), Never the Twain (1988), Taggart (1990), Century Falls (1993), Wycliffe (1994), Murder Most Horrid (1996), Jonathan Creek (1998), Heartbeat (2001), The Cazalets (2001), Holby City (2004), All About George (2005), George Gently (2009), Whitechapel (2013) and New Tricks (2014).

Nicholas Boulton (Businessman) Born Nov 22 1968
Career highlights
Born in Gibraltar, Nicholas debuted as a schoolboy in In the Secret State (1985), after which he secured acting roles in Two Golden Balls (1994), Kavanagh QC (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Wonderful You (1999), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Heartbeat (2004), Life Begins (2004-05), Broken News (2005), Jonathan Creek (2009), Doc Martin (2009), Doctors (2009), Arn (2010), Midsomer Murders (2012), Game of Thrones (2015), Benidorm (2017), 6 Days (2017), Casualty (2017-18), Queen Marie of Romania (2019) and Cursed (2020). He has also worked prolifically as a voice actor in the video game industry since 2007.

Facts
Here he is on Twitter.

Lenora Crichlow (Cheen) Born Jan 4 1985
Career highlights
Lenora debuted in Bella and the Boys in 2004, followed by The Bill (2004), Kiss of Death (2008), Collision (2009), Material Girl (2010), Fast Girls (2012), Black Mirror (2013), Electricity (2014), Mr Robinson (2015), Suspects (2016), Flaked (2017), Deception (2018), Avenue 5 (2020) and The Big Ugly (2020). Regular roles include Maria Sweet in Sugar Rush (2005-06), Gigi Fernandez-Lovette in Back in the Game (2013-14) and Stephie Bennett in A to Z (2014-15), but her most memorable role will be as ghost Annie Sawyer in Being Human (2009-12).
Facts
Lenora's sister is production coordinator Amandla Crichlow, while her father was Trinidadian civil rights activist Frank Crichlow, a central figure in making the annual Notting Hill Carnival a success and known as the "godfather of black radicalism".

Lucy Davenport (Pale woman)
Career highlights
Debuted in Soho Square (2000), then Dickens (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), Sylvia (2003), Frankenstein: Birth of a Monster (2003), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Gangster Squad (2013), NCIS (2013) and Roe vs Wade (2021).

Tom Edden (Pharmacist) Born Aug 21 1978
Career highlights
Other work includes Mr Turner (2014), Cinderella (2015), The Scandalous Lady W (2015), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Upstart Crow (2016) and The Singapore Grip (2020).
Facts
In 2012, Tom was nominated for a Tony Award for his part in One Man, Two Guvnors on Broadway.

Jennifer Hennessy (Valerie) Born 1970
Doctor Who credits
Played: Valerie in Gridlock (2007)
Played: Moira in The Pilot (2017), Extremis (2017)
Career highlights
Prolific character actress Jennifer made her debut in Pauline Calf's Wedding Video (1994), then took roles in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996), Undercover Heart (1998), Clocking Off (2000), Swallow (2001), Flesh and Blood (2002), The Office (2002), The Second Coming (2003), Emmerdale (2003), Conviction (2004), Green Wing (2006), Lilies (2007), Drop Dead Gorgeous (2006-07), The Cup (2008), Paradox (2009), Coronation Street (2009), Hollyoaks (2011), South Riding (2011), Marchlands (2011), Psychoville (2011), Shameless (2012), Foyle's War (2013), Wizards vs Aliens (2012-13), Utopia (2014), The Passing Bells (2014), Vera (2015), Rough and Ready (2015), Dickensian (2015-16), No Offence (2017), The A Word (2017), Roadkill (2020) and Rules of the Game (2022).
Facts
Jennifer was a member of the St Winifred's School Choir which scored a UK Christmas number one single in 1980 with There's No One Quite Like Grandma (warning: this link may make you ill).

Anna Hope (Novice Hame) Born 1974
Doctor Who credits
Played: Novice Hame in New Earth TARDISode (2006), New Earth (2006), Gridlock (2007)
Career highlights
Anna debuted in Crime and Punishment (2002), then The Long Firm (2004), Love Me Still (2008), Waking the Dead (2011), Coronation Street (2011-12) and Zero Tolerance (2012).
Facts
Anna is now a writer, having written the novels Wake, The Ballroom and Expectation. She was shortlisted for New Writer of the Year in the National Book Awards in 2014. In the Doctor Who world, Anna has also had success with another recurring character: Inspector Patricia Menzies in three Big Finish audio adventures (2008/11). Here's Anna on Twitter.

Daisy Lewis (Javit) Born Dec 31 1984
Career highlights
Daisy debuted in After You've Gone (2007), then took roles in Lewis (2009), Pusher (2012), The Lady Vanishes (2013), Borgia (2013), Sons of Liberty (2015), Pypo (2015) and Churchill's Secret (2016). She also played Sarah Bunting in Downton Abbey (2013-14). Daisy is also a producer, on the shorts Maria (2010), The Door (2011) and Actress (2020, which she also wrote and directed).

Facts

Read an article from The Modern House about how Daisy renovated an 1830s terraced house.

Erika Macleod (Sally Calypso) Born 1976
This is Erika's only screen credit, but she is a stage director based in New York, having performed as Fantine in Les Miserables in the 1990s, and later directing youth theatre productions such as Godspell.
Facts
Her full name is Erika MacLeod Mandell, and in September 2002 she sang God Bless America at the opening of the American Stock Exchange in New York. Her husband Daniel worked for Goldman Sachs in 2001 when the planes hit the Twin Towers; he survived the attack.

Judy Norman (Ma) Sep 5 1949 to Apr 1 2021
Career highlights
Other work included Funny Man (1981), Moving on the Edge (1984), Casualty (1987), No Child of Mine (1997), Holby City (2001), Criminal Justice (2008), Doc Martin (2011), Doctors (2014), Dead Fred (2019) and Skullz (2020).
Facts
Judy worked for five years as a drama writer and director at Guys Marsh Prison in Dorset, and also taught French. Her partner was playwright and screenwriter Sam Snape.

Ardal O'Hanlon (Thomas Kincade Brannigan) Born Oct 8 1965
Career highlights
Ardal's earliest screen appearance was in Moll Flanders in 1996, followed by The Butcher Boy (1997), Greyfriars Bobby (2005), Blessed (2005), Skins (2009), London Irish (2013), Lily's Driftwood Bay (2014), Cucumber (2015), After Hours (2015) and Derry Girls (2019). His breakthrough role was playing Father Dougal McGuire in 25 episodes of the sitcom Father Ted (1995-98), and later George Sunday (aka Thermoman) in 45 episodes of the sitcom My Hero (2000-06) and DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise (2017-20). Other prominent roles include voicing Robbie the Reindeer in the animations Hooves of Fire (1999), The Legend of the Lost Tribe (2002) and Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (2007), and playing Eamon Donaghy in Big Bad World (1999-2001) and Dad in Nelly and Nora (2015). In 2006, he wrote and presented the football series Leagues Apart, and has performed stand-up since the 1990s, including on The Stand-Up Show (1995-98), Live at the Apollo (2004) and his 2007 Live in Dublin DVD.

Awards

1995: British Comedy Award for Top TV Comedy Newcomer (Father Ted)
Facts
Ardal's father Rory was a prominent politician in Ireland for over 30 years, being TD (aka MP) for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency between 1977-2011, and holding the posts of parliamentary chairman, minister for the environment, and minister for health at various times. Ardal's paternal grandfather was a member of Michael Collins's Squad, and a member of the IRA. He is also related to Irish-American publisher Peter Fenelon Collier. In 2016, Ardal was a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind, answering questions on his specialist subject of the Velvet Underground (he won). Here's Ardal on Twitter.

Travis Oliver (Milo) Born Mar 19 19??
Career highlights
Belgium-born Travis debuted in the short film Unbelievably British in 2003, then secured the regular role of Jake McQueen in daytime soap Doctors (2003-04) before appearing in North and South (2004), Holby City (2004), The Last Enemy (2008), Hotel Babylon (2008), Me and Orson Welles (2008), Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009), Casualty (2010), Threesome (2011), Cardinal Burns (2012), For the Love of George (2018) and Pennyworth (2019). He also played Oliver Ryan in 22 episodes of Footballers' Wives: Extra Time (2005-06).
Facts
Travis is the face and voice of Doctor Who book companion Chris Cwej in Big Finish's audio adaptations.

Graham Padden (Pa) Born 1962
Career highlights
Debuted in The Professionals (1978), then Target (1978), The History Man (1981), The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984), I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990), EastEnders (1996), Kiss Me Kate (1998), Adventure Inc (2003), Born and Bred (2004), Casanova (2005), Derailed (2005), Casualty (2006), Downton Abbey (2011), Peep Show (2012), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2014) and Hurricane (2018).

Facts

His son is actor Thomas Padden.

Simon Pearsall (Whitey) Born 1964
Career highlights
Debuted in The Bill (1994), then Bugs (1996), ChuckleVision (2001), Bernard's Watch (2001), The Basil Brush Show (2003), Footballers' Wives: Extra Time (2005), The Reckoning (2011) and Woodhouse (2013). Regular roles include Jim Lucas in 19 episodes of Out of Sight (1996-98) and Don West in 26 episodes of Grange Hill (2000-02).
Facts
Simon also works as a regular cartoonist with Private Eye (First Drafts), The Spectator and The New Statesman.

Struan Rodger (Voice of the Face of Boe) Born Sep 18 1946
Doctor Who credits
Played: Voice of the Face of Boe in New Earth (2006), Gridlock (2007)
Played: Clayton in The Woman Who Lived (2015)
Played: Voice of the Kasaavin in Spyfall (2020)
Career highlights
Struan's CV stretches right back to Hobson's Choice in 1967, after which he appeared in The Regiment (1972), Look and Read: Joe and the Sheep Rustlers (1973), Warship (1974), Les Miserables (1978), Return of the Saint (1979), Chariots of Fire (1981), Boys from the Blackstuff (1984), Cover Her face (1985), The Detective (1985), Edge of Darkness (1985), Yesterday's Dreams (1987), Imaginary Friends (1987), Game, Set and Match (1988), Who Bombed Birmingham? (1990), Afraid of the Dark (1991), Spender (1993), Prime Suspect 3 (1993), Chandler and Co (1994), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), The Madness of King George (1994), Richard II (1997), Young Adam (2003), Sea of Souls (2004), Stardust (2007), Moses Jones (2009), The Thick of It (2009), Kill List (2011), Endeavour (2014), Prey (2014), Grantchester (2014), Game of Thrones (2014-15, as the voice of the Three-Eyed Raven), The Enfield Haunting (2015), Shetland (2016), Vera (2017), Save Me (2018), Age Before Beauty (2018), The World We Knew (2020) and A Discovery of Witches (2021).

Gayle Telfer Stevens (Pharmacist) Born 1982
Career highlights
Gayle debuted in Jerry Springer: The Opera (2005), then Casualty (2009), Gary Tank Commander (2012), Waterloo Road (2013), The Crash (2013), Sunshine on Leith (2013), Lovesick (2014), Sketchland (2015) and Scot Squad (2014/18). Since 2018 she has played the part of Caitlin McLean in soap River City.
Facts
Gayle's CV claims her character in Gridlock was actually called Wendy Boatcumin (great name!).

Bridget Turner (Alice Cassini) Feb 22 1939 to Dec 27 2014
Career highlights
Debuted in Thark (1961), then Lorna Doone (1963), The Villains (1964), The Newcomers (1965), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Resurrection (1968), The Walking Stick (1970), Under Milk Wood (1972), Sutherland's Law (1975), Target (1977), Two People (1979), Get Lost! (1981), Love and Marriage (1984), CATS Eyes (1985), Season's Greetings (1986), Boon (1991), Pride and Prejudice (1995), The Thin Blue Line (1995), Peak Practice (2001), Armadillo (2001), The Gathering (2003), Hogfather (2006), The Colour of Magic (2008) and Monroe (2011).
Facts
Bridget was married to Frank Cox, who directed episodes of the Doctor Who stories The Edge of Destruction and The Sensorites in 1964. Bridget was originally offered the role of Sybil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers, but turned it down (Prunella Scales got the part). Bridget was godmother to actor Tom Burke.

Natasha Williams (Pharmacist) Born Jul 18 1971
Career highlights
Jamaican born Natasha debuted in Fighting Back (1986), followed by Out of Order (1987), London's Burning (1988), All Good Things (1991), Sister, Sister (1995), Esther (1999), The Fourth Angel (2001), Nighty Night (2004), The Last Detective (2004), Pinochet's Last Stand (2006), Silent Witness (2008), EastEnders (2004-16), Silk (2012), Whitechapel (2013) and It's a Sin (2021). She also regularly played WPC Delia French in 39 episodes of The Bill (1989-92).

CREW

Russell T Davies (writer) Born Apr 27 1963 Click here for Russell T Davies' entry on Rose

Richard Clark (director)
Doctor Who credits
Directed: Gridlock (2007), The Lazarus Experiment (2007), The Doctor's Wife (2011), Night Terrors (2011)
Career highlights
Richard's earliest directing work was on My Dead Buddy in 1997, after which he found work on Shockers: The Dance (1999), Life on Mars (2007), The Whistleblowers (2007), Whitechapel (2012), Silent Witness (2013), The Musketeers (2014), The Crimson Field (2014), Outlander (2015), Midwinter of the Spirit (2015), Versailles (2018) and War of the Worlds (2019-21).

Awards

2012: Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) (Doctor Who) - shared with Neil Gaiman
Facts
Here he is on Twitter.

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Simon Winstone (script editor) Born 1973 Click here for Simon Winstone's entry on Attack of the Graske

The Shakespeare Code

Hey nonny nonny!

One episode (The Shakespeare Code)
First broadcast Apr 7 2007
Average audience for story: 7.23m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) Born Mar 20 1979 Click here for Freema Agyeman's entry on Army of Ghosts

GUEST CAST

Andree Bernard (Dolly Bailey) Born Nov 29 1966
Career highlights
Andree first appeared in various comedy roles in The Two Ronnies in 1983, after which she found work in This Happy Breed (1984), Absolute Beginners (1986), William Tell (1989), Only Fools and Horses (1988-89), Snakes and Ladders (1989), The Brittas Empire (1991), Bernard and the Genie (1991), Chaplin (1992), The Sea Change (1998), Baddiel's Syndrome (2001), Crossroads (2002), Family Affairs (1998/2003), Young Gods (2008), Tales of the Legbreaker (2014), Holby City (2015-16) and Playing Dead (2018). However, it is for her long-running role as Liz Burton Taylor in more than 180 episodes of the soap Hollyoaks (2003-07) and its spin-offs Let Loose (2005) and In the City (2006) that she is best recognised.
Facts
Here she is in a 1991 TV commercial for Hamlet cigars. Here's her Twitter.

Linda Clark (Bloodtide)
Career highlights
Linda has a handful of credits to her name, including That Peter Kay Thing (2000), Emmerdale (1999/2002), Coronation Street (2012), Hanging in There (2017), Once a Year on Blackpool Sands (2020) and Meeting (2020).

In 2018 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Linda here.

Christina Cole (Lilith) Born May 8 1982
Career highlights
Christina made her debut in 2002's The Project, followed by What a Girl Wants (2003), All About Me (2003), He Knew He Was Right (2004), Hex (2004-05), Jane Eyre (2006), Casino Royale (2006), Sea of Souls (2007), Sold (2007), Lost in Austen (2008), Doghouse (2009), Emma (2009), Lewis (2011), Chaos (2011), Rosemary's Baby (2014), The Assets (2014), Jupiter Ascending (2015), SS-GB (2017), The Indian Detective (2017), Van der Valk (2020) and Strike (2020). She also played Dr Paula Agard in 17 episodes of Suits (2015-18).
Facts
Christina once modelled for Andrea Galer wedding dresses. In 2013, she appeared in Cheyenne Jackson's music video for Before You.

Robert Demeger (Preacher) Jun 2 1951 to Sep 14 2014 (brain cancer)
Career highlights
Robert debuted in Great Expectations in 1981, then took roles in Morgan's Boy (1984), Casualty (1987), Inspector Morse (1992), Forever Green (1992), Orlando (1992), Lovejoy (1993), The Chief (1994), Black Beauty (1994), The Thin Blue Line (1995), The Dark Room (1999), Longitude (2000), Secret Passage (2004), He Kills Coppers (2008), The Borgias (2011), The Hour (2011) and Dark Matters: Twisted But True (2012).
Facts
Robert was a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company. When diagnosed with cancer (after collapsing in the street), he was performing as the Duke in a National Theatre production of Othello, but refused to stop until illness prevented him. In 2013, Robert became the first European patient to try a new immune therapy, using a personalised vaccine which teaches the body to fight the tumour cells, following clinical trials in the USA. Following surgery, Robert lost his ability to communicate and had to learn to speak again. Sadly, the immune therapy did not work.

Jalaal Hartley (Richard Burbage) Born 1976
Career highlights
Jalaal's first credit was for The Bill in 1999, after which he appeared in Heartbeat (2001), The Last Detective (2003), 40 (2003), Red Cap (2004), Spartacus (2004), Murder City (2006), Sugar Rush (2006), Pulling (2006), Touch Me, I'm Karen Taylor (2007-08), Holby City (2008-09), Twenty Twelve (2011), Doctors (2011), The Borgias (2011-12), The Bible (2013), Shameless (2013), Sherlock (2014), In the Flesh (2014), Horrible Histories (2012-19, including the movie), Cucumber (2015), For Love or Money (2019) and Vera (2020). He has also written for the screen, including for Touch Me, I'm Karen Taylor and the Comedy Lab's Clitheroe (2004), which he also directed.

Dean Lennox Kelly (William Shakespeare) Born Nov 30 1975
Career highlights
Dean debuted in Peak Practice in 1998, then took roles in Still Crazy (1998), Maisie Raine (1999), The Low Down (2000), Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001), Deathwatch (2002), The Worst Week of My Life (2004), Ashes (2005), Sorted (2006), Cranford (2007), The Invisibles (2008), Being Human (2009), Robin Hood (2009), Married Single Other (2010), Frankie (2013), Fleming (2014), Death in Paradise (2015), Silent Witness (2016), Trick or Treat (2019) and Sick of It (2020). He will be best remembered as Kev Ball in the drama series Shameless (2004-13), and Meredith Rutter in Jamestown (2017-19). Dean is also a prolific narrator, most notably for The Real Hustle (2006-07) and Supertruckers (2015).
Facts
Dean's brother is actor Craig Kelly, best known as Doctor Who fan Vince Tyler in Russell T Davies' drama Queer As Folk, as well as the voice behind Joe in the Doctor Who animated adventure Scream of the Shalka (2003). Dean added Lennox (his mother's maiden name) into his professional name after he turned up at a voiceover session, only to be told he was "the wrong Dean Kelly". In an interview in 2007, Dean added: "The other Dean Kelly is a children's entertainer, specialising in finger puppets. We met at a wedding once. We didn't get on too well." Dean was best man to his best friend, actor Richard Coyle.

Matt King (Peter Streete) Born Jan 31 1968
Career highlights
Matt debuted in The Craic (1999), followed by work in Blue Heelers (2000), Look Around You (2002), Star Stories (2006), Jekyll (2007), Dog Face (2007), City of Vice (2008), RocknRolla (2008), Bronson (2008), Inkheart (2008), Skins (2009), Malice in Wonderland (2009), Made in Dagenham (2010), Whites (2010), The IT Crowd (2013), Paddington (2014), Get Santa (2014), Ibiza Undead (2015), In the Dark (2017), The End of the F***ing World (2017), Strike (2018), Dolittle (2020) and Bulletproof (2020). Matt has also enjoyed several recurring roles, including Rollo the chauffeur in Something in the Air (2000-01), Henry Mallet in Spirited (2010-11), Super Hans in Peep Show (2003-15) and Uncle Loz in Starlings (2012-13). He is also a prolific comedy writer, having written for Hale and Pace (1990), Full Frontal (1993-94), Jimeoin (1994-95), The Basil Brush Show (2002), Tripping Over (2006), Dog Face (2007), Whites (2010) and Starlings (2012-13 - the latter two he also produced).
Facts
Although born in the UK, Matt emigrated to Australia in 1988 for 15 years, working as a chef, before returning to Britain as a stand-up comedian and writer. In July 2013, Matt was declared bankrupt at Brighton County Court in light of unpaid taxes amounting to £68,277. In 2019, he appeared in San Fender's music video for Saturday.

Chris Larkin (Lynley) Born Jun 19 1967
Career highlights
Chris debuted in Frank Stubbs in 1993, after which he found work in Bliss (1995), Jane Eyre (1996), Karaoke (1996), Highlander (1997), Tea with Mussolini (1999), Evolution (2002), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), After Thomas (2006), Valkyrie (2008), The Facility (2012), Yes, Prime Minister (2013), Coalition (2015), Endeavour (2016), Black Sails (2017), Next of Kin (2018) and Outlander (2020). He regularly played Cambridge in the sitcom Roger Roger (1996-99).
Facts
Chris is the son of actress Dame Maggie Smith and actor Sir Robert Stephens, and is the brother of actor Toby Stephens (his professional surname is after the author Philip Larkin). Coming from this very special parental coupling, Chris is also brother-in-law to actress Anna-Louise Plowman (who appeared in Dalek), and stepson of actress Patricia Quinn (who appeared in Dragonfire).

Amanda Lawrence (Doomfinger) Born 1971
Career highlights
Amanda has been acting since her role in Casualty in 2004, after which she appeared in Afterlife (2006), Hotel Babylon (2007), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Little Dorrit (2008), Tamara Drewe (2010), The Lady (2011), Dead Boss (2012), The Charles Dickens Show (2012), Mr Selfridge (2014), Mr Turner (2014), The Enfield Haunting (2015), Pan (2015), Houdini and Doyle (2016), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), White House Farm (2020) and Summerland (2020). She also regularly played DC Joan Faulkland in Above Suspicion (2009-12).
Facts
In 2009, Amanda appeared in a one-woman show called Jiggery Pokery at the Edinburgh Festival telling the life story of British Carry On film legend Charles Hawtrey. See the resemblance? Amanda as Charles; Charles as Charles.

In 2018 Toby Hadoke released his Who's Round interview with Amanda here.

Stephen Marcus (Jailer) Born Jun 18 1962
Career highlights
Debuted in My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), after which he appeared in Brush Strokes (1987), Boon (1989), Stay Lucky (1990), Birds of a Feather (1989/91), Red Dwarf (1993), KYTV (1993), Frank Stubbs (1994), The Glam Metal Detectives (1995), Rumble (1995), Our Friends in the North (1996), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Roger Roger (1999), Angela's Ashes (1999), Sorted (2000), Quills (2000), Iris (2001), Mile High (2004), Stage Beauty (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), Hogfather (2006), Kingdom (2007), The Colour of Magic (2008), Lark Rise to Candleford (2008), Ninja Assassin (2009), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), The London Firm (2014), Man Down (2015), EastEnders (2015), Benidorm (2016), The Coroner (2016), Fanged Up (2017), The Facility (2019), NCIS: Los Angeles (2019) and The Big Ugly (2020) . He also had a long-running role as Rudolpho de Luna in 44 episodes of Starhunter (2000-04) and its revival series Transformation (2016) and ReduX (2017-18).
Facts
Stephen conducts guided walking tours around London taking in gangster locations from real life and the movies. He also coaches for the London Olympians American football team, after having played himself for the Sussex Thunders until 2007. Here he is on Twitter.

Sam Marks (Wiggins)
Career highlights
Sam debuted in Nighty Night (2004), then Foyle's War (2010), Endeavour (2018), Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2019) and The Witcher (2019). Sam works extensively on the stage, particularly for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in 2013 played Bushy to David Tennant's Richard II at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Facts
He's on Twitter.

Angela Pleasence (Queen Elizabeth I) Born Sep 30 1941
Doctor Who credits
Played: Queen Elizabeth I in The Shakespeare Code (2007)
Played: Mystic Mags in The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Curse of Clyde Langer (2011)
Career highlights
Angela made her acting debut in The Madam (1965), then Seven Deadly Sins (1966/67), Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968), Coronation Street (1968), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), Anyone for Sex? (1973), From Beyond the Grave (1974), A Legacy (1975), The Godsend (1980), The Barchester Chronicles (1982), Mansfield Park (1983), A Christmas Carol (1984), Girls on Top (1986), Somewhere to Run (1989), September (1996), Crime Traveller (1997), Cider with Rosie (1998), Dr Terrible's House of Horrible (2001), Doctors (2006), Your Highness (2011), Whitechapel (2013) and Happy Valley (2016).
Facts
Angela is the daughter of actor Donald Pleasence, best remembered as Dr Loomis in the Hallowe'en films. Angela is the second of three actresses to play the Virgin Queen in Doctor Who, the others being Vivienne Bennett in The Chase (1965) and Joanna Page in The Day of the Doctor (2013).

David Westhead (Will Kempe) Born Jun 1 1963
Career highlights
Debuted uncredited in Jenny's War (1985), after which he popped up in Blackeyes (1989), Stanley and the Women (1991), Wycliffe (1994), Bramwell (1996), Mrs Brown (1997), Wilde (1997), The Lakes (1997/99), Grafters (1999), Macready and Daughter (2000-01), Queen's Messenger (2001), William and Mary (2003), Stage Beauty (2004), Rose and Maloney (2005), Wallis and Edward (2005), The Time of Your Life (2007), Moving Wallpaper (2009), The Silence (2010), The Iron Lady (2011), DCI Banks (2012), Endeavour (2014), The Coroner (2015), Bodyguard (2018) and If It's Not Too Late (2020). He regularly played Brian Middleton in Life Begins (2004-06) and Neil Reid in W1A (2014-20).
Facts
He is a co-founder of Wilton Pictures, which produces documentaries and short films.

CREW

Gareth Roberts (writer) Born Jun 5 1968 Click here for Gareth Roberts' entry on Attack of the Graske

Charles Palmer (director) Born 1965 Click here for Charles Palmer's entry on Smith and Jones

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Simon Winstone (script editor) Born 1973 Click here for Simon Winstone's entry on Attack of the Graske

Smith and Jones

Judoon platoon on the moon!

One episode (Smith and Jones)
First broadcast Mar 31 2007
Average audience for story: 8.71m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) Born Mar 20 1979 Click here for Freema Agyeman's entry on Army of Ghosts

GUEST CAST

Adjoa Andoh (Francine Jones) Born Jan 14 1963 Click here for Adjoa Andoh's entry on New Earth

Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Judoon) Born Sep 29 1961 Click here for Nicholas Briggs' entry on Rose

Paul Kasey (Judoon Captain) Born Aug 5 1973 Click here for Paul Kasey's entry on Rose

Trevor Laird (Clive Jones) Born Jul 11 1957

Doctor Who credits

Played: Frax in The Trial of a Time Lord Parts 5-8 (1986)

Played: Clive Jones in Smith and Jones, The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords (2007)

Career highlights

Trevor's debut came in The Vanishing Army (1978), followed by roles in Quadrophenia (1979), The Long Good Friday (1980), Maybury (1981), Babylon (1981), Walter (1982), Struggle (1983-84), The Flying Devils (1985), The New Statesman (1987), The Lenny Henry Show (1988), Slipstream (1989), Bernard and the Genie (1991), Secrets and Lies (1996), Casualty (1999), William and Mary (2003), The Last Detective (2004), Peep Show (2004), The Eagle (2005), Waking the Dead (2009), Thorne (2010), Holby City (2014), Toast of London (2014), Death in Paradise (2015), No Offence (2017), To Be Someone (2020), Small Axe (2020) and Doctors (2003/2021).

Facts

He is one of the founder members of the Black Theatre Cooperative (now the Nitro Music Theatre).

Roy Marsden (Dr Stoker) Born Jun 25 1941

Career highlights

Roy made his screen debut in The Improbably Mr Claybill (1964), followed by Riviera Police (1965), The Flying Swan (1965), The Liars (1966), The Dick Emery Show (1967), The Fellows (1967), Vanity Fair (1967), Crown Court (1972), The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), The New Avengers (1976), Survivors (1977), Target (1977), Goodbye Mr Chips (1984), Inside Story (1986), Frank Stubbs (1994), Dangerous Lady (1995), Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005), Eleventh Hour (2006), Rebus (2006), The Palace (2008), Margaret (2009), Silent Witness (2011), Holy Flying Circus (2011), The Escape Artist (2013) and Partners in Crime (2015). Roy had a recurring role as Danny Driscoll in Only Fools and Horses (1989) and its spin-off The Green Green Grass (2005-09), as well as recurring roles as Neil Burnside in The Sandbaggers (1978-80) and Jack Ruskin in Airline (1986). However, he is best known for playing Commander Adam Dalgleish in 10 P D James adaptations between 1983-98.

Facts

Roy was once married to actress Polly Hemingway, but his partner is now producer Hilary Bevan Jones.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Tish Jones) Born Apr 21 1983
Doctor Who credits
Played: Tish Jones in Smith and Jones, The Lazarus Experiment, The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords (all 2007)
Career highlights
Debuted in Holby City (2005), followed by Legless (2005), Vital Signs (2006), Viva Blackpool (2006), Spooks (2006), Bad Girls (2006), Bonekickers (2008), Larry Crowne (2011), Belle (2013), Jupiter Ascending (2015), The Whole Truth (2016), Black Mirror (2016), Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Cloverfield Paradox (2017), A Wrinkle in Time (2018), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019), Summerland (2020), Seacole (2021) and Loki (2021). She had regular roles as Samantha Bloom in Undercovers (2010-12), Clea Hopkins in Touch (2012) and Hannah Schoenfeld in This Morning Show (2019-21).

Awards

2014: British Independent Film Award for Best Actress (Belle)

2015: National Film Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in a Film (Belle)

2017: Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to drama
Facts
Gugu is short for Gugulethu (Zulu for "our pride").

Anne Reid (Florence Finnegan) Born May 28 1935

Doctor Who credits

Played: Nurse Crane in The Curse of Fenric (1989)

Played: Florence Finnegan in Smith and Jones (2007)

Career highlights

Anne made her debut in 1957 in The Benny Hill Show, then popped up in The Machine Breakers (1957), Hancock's Half Hour (1957-59), Buggins' Ermine (1972), Nightingale's Boys (1975), Heydays Hotel (1977), Strangers (1978), The Mallens (1979-80), My Father's House (1981), The Practice (1985), Bleak House (1985), Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1986), Victoria Wood (1989), Josie Smith (1991), Rich Tea and Sympathy (1991), Roughnecks (1994), Seaforth (1994), Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (1995, as the voice of Wendolene), Spark (1997), Playing the Field (1998-99), Peak Practice (1993/99), Linda Green (2001), Dalziel and Pascoe (2001-02), The Mother (2003), Rose and Maloney (2004), Bleak House (2005), The Booze Cruise trilogy (2003-06), Hot Fuzz (2007), In Love with Barbara (2008), Cemetery Junction (2010), Marchlands (2010), Prisoners' Wives (2013), Inside No 9 (2014), Our Zoo (2014), Electric Dreams (2017), The Snowman (2017), A Woman of No Importance (2018), Years and Years (2019), Sanditon (2019), The Nest (2020) and SAS: Red Notice (2021). She has had a number of recurring roles, starting with Valerie Barlow in soap Coronation Street (1961-71), Wendy Holmes in Firm Friends (1992-94), Jean in Dinnerladies (1998-2000), Brenda Thornhill in Life Begins (2004-06), Vera Small in Ladies of Letters (2009-10), Clarice Thackeray in Upstairs, Downstairs (2010-12), Queenie in Hold the Sunset (2018-19) and Celia in Last Tango in Halifax (2012-20).
Awards
2010: Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to drama

2025: Commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to drama

Facts

Anne was nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA, British Independent Film Award, Chlotrudis Award and European Film Award for The Mother in 2004: however, she only won a London Critics' Circle Film Award. Her husband, until his death in 1981, was Head of Drama at Granada TV Peter Eckersley; their son is film editor Mark Eckersley.

Kimmi Richards (Annalise)
Kimmi's only other screen credit is as a dancer in Beyond the Sea (2004), but she has also appeared on stage in musical theatre. Here's her Twitter feed.

Ben Righton (Oliver Morgenstern)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Oliver Morgenstern in Smith and Jones (2007), Turn Left (2008)
Career highlights
Debuted in A Good Year (2006), then took roles in Flawless (2007), Bones (2008), Cuckoo (2009), Joe Maddison's War (2010), Law and Order UK (2011), The Patrol (2013) and Mr Selfridge (2016).
Facts
Ben can be seen in the Refreshingly Perfect advertising campaign for Carling lager. He has also broadcast on BBC Radio London. Here's his Twitter.

Vineeta Rishi (Julia Swales) Born Feb 15 1981
Career highlights
Vineeta's earliest roles were in The Bill in 2002 and 2004, followed by work in Lawless (2004), Outnumbered (2007), Criminal Justice (2008), Stud Life (2012), Line of Duty (2017), The Boy with the Topknot (2017), Collateral (2018), Van der Valk (2020), Holby City (2020-21) and Angela Black (2021). She enjoyed the regular role of WPC Kapoor in The Last Detective (2003-07, opposite Peter Davison) and played Dr Jas Khella in over 170 episodes of daytime soap Doctors between 2012-13.
Facts
Vineeta qualified from university with a business management degree and also worked as a computer programmer for British Airways before getting into acting.

Reggie Yates (Leo Jones) Born May 31 1983
Doctor Who credits
Played: Leo Jones in Smith and Jones, The Lazarus Experiment, The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords (all 2007)
Career highlights
Although known in the UK more as a presenter and radio DJ, Reggie has been acting since he debuted in Desmond's in 1993, aged 10. Since then he's appeared in Between the Lines (1993), Agent Z and the Penguin from Mars (1996), Crucial Tales (1996), The Bill (2000), The Crust (2005), Trinity (2009), The Pavement Psychologist (2013) and Thunderbirds Are Go! (2015). He has also had a handful of regular roles, including Carl Fenton in Grange Hill (2002), Calvin in UGetMe (2003-05) and the voice of children's cartoon character Rastamouse (2011-15). He has also written and directed two short films, Patriarch (2013) and Date Night (2014). As a presenter he has hosted The Disney Club (1997-98), Smile (2002-04), Dance Factory (2005), Keep Your Hair On (2006), Escape from Scorpion Island (2007), Get 100 (2007), Move Like Michael Jackson (2009), Top of the Pops (2003-12), The Voice UK (2012-13) and Release the Hounds (2013-15). Reggie has also won critical acclaim for his documentaries tackling difficult subjects, including Extreme South Africa (2014), Extreme Russia (2015), Race Riots USA (2015), Extreme UK (2015), Hidden Australia (2017), The Insider (2016-17), Searching for Grenfell's Lost Lives (2018). He also regularly presents the BBC's live coverage of music festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park and Reading and Leeds. Reggie has also been a DJ on BBC Radio 1, including the weekly Chart Show.

Awards

2016: Royal Television Society Award for Best Presenter (Reggie Yates's Extreme Russia)

2016: Royal Television Society Award for Entertainment (Release the Hounds)

2016: Broadcast Award for Best Multichannel Programme (Reggie Yates's Extreme Russia)
Facts
Reggie, who in 2007 appeared in Dizzee Rascal's music video for Flex, is on Twitter.

CREW

Russell T Davies (writer) Born Apr 27 1963 Click here for Russell T Davies' entry on Rose

Charles Palmer (director) Born 1965
Doctor Who credits
Directed: Smith and Jones (2007), The Shakespeare Code (2007), Human Nature/ The Family of Blood (2007), Oxygen (2017), The Eaters of Light (2017)
Career highlights
Charles started his career as a lowly but always integral clapper loader on The Camomile Lawn in 1992 and has gradually worked his way up to director since, acting as focus puller on Sharpe's Battle and Sharpe's Sword (1995), Bent (1997) and A Dance to the Music of Time (1997), before becoming a camera operator on Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and The Biographer (2002). He got his directing breakthrough on the short The Magic of Vincent in 2000, and has since directed Linda Green (2001), Night & Day (2001), The Ghost Squad (2005), Vital Signs (2006, which he also created), Lark Rise to Candleford (2008), Poirot (2009-10), Lewis (2011), Death in Paradise (2011), By Any Means (2013), Midsomer Murders (2015), Poldark (2016), Silent Witness (2018), Doc Martin (2015-19) and The Mallorca Files (2019).
Facts
Cool Doctor Who links: until 2015, Charles was married to actress Claire Skinner (who appeared in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe), while his father was veteran actor Geoffrey Palmer (who appeared in Doctor Who three times - in 1970, 1972 and 2007). Charles's picture is used in the opening credits of the sitcom As Time Goes By, to represent his father's younger self.

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Simon Winstone (script editor) Born 1973 Click here for Simon Winstone's entry on Attack of the Graske

The Runaway Bride

The Empress of the Racnoss
(Sarah parish) unravels her
web of evil

One episode (The Runaway Bride)
First broadcast Dec 25 2006
Average audience for story: 9.35m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

GUEST CAST

Krystal Archer (Nerys) Born 1984
Doctor Who credits
Played: Nerys in The Runaway Bride (2006), The End of Time Part Two (2010)
Career highlights
Krystal has also appeared in Genie in the House (2006), and various musical stage productions, as well as being a stunt double in The Mummy Returns (2001). She is also a DJ (she was one of the first female DJs at Ministry of Sound) and dancer, and has appeared in TV commercials and even a music video for Goldie Lookin' Chain!

Howard Attfield (Geoff Noble) Nov 27 1946 to Oct 31 2007 (cancer)
Career highlights
Howard's other work includes Cream in My Coffee (1980), Cover (1981), Great Expectations (1981), The Optimist (1985), Terry on the Fence (1986), Leon the Pig Farmer (1992), The Darling Buds of May (1993), EverAfter (1998), One Foot in the Grave (2000), Lexx (2001), Fooling Hitler (2004) and Brothers of the Head (2005).
Facts
Howard filmed scenes as Geoff for the 2008 story Partners in Crime, but it soon became apparent that he was too ill to continue, and the role was remodelled to become Donna's grandfather Wilf Mott, played by Bernard Cribbins. An example of Howard's deleted scenes can be found on the Series 4 box set. Partners in Crime was dedicated to his memory.

Zafirah Boateng (Little girl)
Zafirah's only other credit is Holby City (2007). Zafirah now works in digital marketing.

Trevor Georges (Vicar) Born 1962
Career highlights
Trevor started out in T-Bag and the Rings of Olympus in 1991, followed by roles in The Ink Thief (1994), tlc (2002), EastEnders (2004), The Rotters' Club (2005), My Hero (2005), Whitechapel (2010), Big School (2014), Autopsy: The Last Hours of Michael Jackson (2014, as Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray), A Song for Jenny (2015), People Just Do Nothing (2016), Holby City (2019) and Noughts + Crosses (2020). Since 2019 he has played Ed Bailey in more than 100 episodes of soap Coronation Street. He also wrote, directed, produced, composed and appeared in the short film Swap in 2012. Since 2010 he has been credited as Trevor Michael Georges.

Facts

In 2021, Trevor was hailed as a hero after helping a homeless man who had been dragged underneath a tram in Manchester city centre. Trevor gave the man a packet of cigarettes to cheer him up!

Don Gilet (Lance Bennett) Born Jan 17 1967
Career highlights
Don's earliest screen appearance was in the sitcom Desmond's in 1993, followed by Demob (1993), Brothers and Sisters (1998), Casualty (2001), Cutting It (2002), Babyfather (2001-02), 55 Degrees North (2004-05), The Line of Beauty (2006), The Ruby in the Smoke (2006), Cape Wrath (2007), One Night (2012), Love and Marriage (2013), Wizards vs Aliens (2012-13), Old Jack's Boat (2013-14), Death in Paradise (2015), Brief Encounters (2016), The Loch (2017), The Corrupted (2019), The Stranger (2020), Broke (2020), The Doll Maker (2020), The Sandman (2020) and Decrypted (2021). Recurring roles include Lucas Johnson in more than 190 episodes of soap EastEnders (2008-10/2016/2020-21) and Jesse Law in over 60 episodes of Holby City (2014-15).
Facts
In the late 1990s Don appeared on the series Streetmate as the housemate of one of the daters. In 2002, he appeared in a TV commercial for Apple iMac, the year after he appeared in Gabrielle's music video for the song Out of Reach. He also appeared in the 2011 video for I Am Spartacus's I Want You to Remember. His partner is actress Tracy Whitwell. Don is also an accomplished DJ and breakdancer.

Paul Kasey (Robot Santa) Born Aug 5 1973 Click here for Paul Kasey's entry on Rose

Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Sylvia Noble in The Runaway Bride (2006), Partners in Crime (2008), The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky (2008), Turn Left (2008), The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End (2008), The End of Time (2009/10), The Star Beast (2023), The Giggle (2023)
Career highlights
Debuted in The New Adventures of Lucky Jim in 1982, followed by Andy Robson (1983), Late Expectations (1987), First and Last (1989), Deacon Brodie (1997), Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1998), Casualty (2001), Gabriel and Me (2001), Life Begins (2004), Lawless (2004), 55 Degrees North (2004-05), House of Saddam (2008), Missing (2009), Come Fly with Me (2010), Coronation Street (2011-12), Doctors (2005/07/13/19), Silk (2014), Give Out Girls (2014), Theresa vs Boris: How May Became PM (2017, as Theresa May), Bounty Hunters (2017), Turn Up Charlie (2019), The Duchess (2020) and Adult Material (2020).

Rhodri Meilir (Rhodri) Born Nov 18 1978
Career highlights
Debuted in the Welsh language Diwrnod Hollol Mindblowing Heddiw (2000), then Afterlife (2005), Hogfather (2006), Caerdydd (2006), Y Pris (2007), Doctors (2010), Pen Talar (2010), Pride (2014), Under Milk Wood (2015), Hinterland (2016), Hidden (2018), Merched Parchus (2019), Casualty (2019), In My Skin (2020) and 35 Diwrnod (2020). His most high profile role to date has been playing Alfie Butts in 31 episodes of the sitcom My Family (2005-09), but he also regularly played Owain in Living a Lie (2016-17).

Sarah Parish (Empress of the Racnoss) Born Jun 7 1968
Career highlights
Sarah debuted in a 1994 episode of The Bill, then took roles in Babes in the Wood (1998), Beast (2000), Brotherly Love (2000), The Vice (2001), Sirens (2002), Trust (2003), Blackpool (2004), Girls on the Bus (2006), Recovery (2007), Merlin (2009), The Pillars of the Earth (2010), Hatfields and McCoys (2012), Breathless (2013), The Collection (2016), Broadchurch (2017), The Cockfields (2019), Medici (2018-19), Bancroft (2017-20), Industry (2020) and Stay Close (2021). Regular roles include Dawn Rudge in Peak Practice (1997-99), Amanda Thomas in Hearts and Bones (2000-01), Allie Henshall in Cutting It (2002-05), Dr Katie Roden in Mistresses (2008-10), Jenny Bremner in Monroe (2011-12), Pasiphae in Atlantis (2013-15), Cheryl in Trollied (2015-18) and Anna Rampton in W1A (2014-20).
Facts
In 1994, Sarah appeared in a TV commercial for Boddingtons beer, asking to be rubbed down with chip fat! Sarah's husband is actor James Murray, perhaps best known for his roles in Primeval and, infamously, in Russell T Davies' Cucumber. In 2009, the couple lost their eight-month-old daughter Ella-Jayne to congenital heart failure. The tragedy inspired the couple to set up the Murray Parish Trust and help raise money for paediatric emergency medicine in the south of England. Sarah's brother is songwriter and producer John Parish, who has worked with, among others, PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Eels, Goldfrapp and KT Tunstall. Here's her Twitter feed (but she's not a doctor!).

Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Born Dec 5 1969 Click here for Catherine Tate's entry on Doomsday

Glen Wilson (Taxi driver)
Career highlights
Other work includes Shoot the Messenger (2006), EastEnders (2004/09), EastEnders: E20 (2010) and Liebling, lass uns scheiden! (2010). He specialises in playing public transport operatives!

CREW

Russell T Davies (writer) Born Apr 27 1963 Click here for Russell T Davies' entry on Rose

Euros Lyn (director) Born Mar 1971 Click here for Euros Lyn's entry on The End of the World

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Simon Winstone (script editor) Born 1973 Click here for Simon Winstone's entry on Attack of the Graske

Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday

The Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose
(Billie Piper) part company at Bad
Wolf Bay

Two episodes (Army of Ghosts, Doomsday)
First broadcast Jul 1 to 8 2006
Average audience for story: 8.21m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) Born Sep 22 1982 Click here for Billie Piper's entry on Rose

GUEST CAST

Derek Acorah (Derek Acorah) Jan 27 1950 to Jan 3 2020 (pneumonia and sepsis)
Career highlights
Derek described himself as a spirit medium and began practicing spiritualism on TV in 1996 when he appeared on the Granada Breeze satellite channel's live psychic programmes. He is best known for his stint as the resident medium on the paranormal investigation series Most Haunted between 2002-05. After leaving Most Haunted amid controversy over his legitimacy (he'd been fed false facts prior to his readings and then used these "facts" during his contact with various spirits), Derek appeared on Antiques Ghost Show (2003), Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns (2005-06) and Michael Jackson: The Search for His Spirit (subsequently voted the worst TV programme of 2009 by Yahoo users).
Facts
In 2012, Derek had to apologise to the parents of the missing British girl Madeleine McCann after he claimed he had been told by a spirit guide that the four-year-old had been dead for some time and would soon be reincarnated. In 2014, he was banned from driving for 28 months after failing a roadside breath test and refusing to give a breath sample at the police station (he was also fined £1,000).

Freema Agyeman (Adeola) Born Mar 20 1979
Doctor Who credits
Played: Adeola in Army of Ghosts (2006)
Played: Martha Jones in Smith and Jones, The Shakespeare Code, Gridlock, Daleks in Manhattan/ Evolution of the Daleks, The Lazarus Experiment, 42, Human Nature/ The Family of Blood, Blink, Utopia/ The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords, The Infinite Quest (all 2007), Torchwood: Reset (2008), Torchwood: Dead Man Walking (2008), Torchwood: A Day in the Death (2008), The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky (2008), The Doctor's Daughter (2008), The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End (2008), The End of Time Part Two (2010)
Career highlights
Freema's first acting part was playing Lola Wise in the rebooted soap Crossroads in 2003, after which she appeared in Casualty (2004), Silent Witness (2005), Rulers and Dealers (2006), Little Dorrit (2008), Survivors (2008), Rubenesque (2013), North v South (2015) and Eat Locals (2017). Regular roles include Alesha Phillips in 39 episodes of Law and Order UK (2009-11), Shelly Periwinkle in children's series Old Jack's Boat (2013-15), Larissa Loughton in 26 episodes of The Carrie Diaries (2013-14), Amanita Caplan in 23 episodes of Sense8 (2015-18) and Dr Helen Sharpe in New Amsterdam (2018-21). She also narrated 30 episodes of Bizarre ER (2008-10).
Facts
If you've ever wondered what Freema's favourite films are, they're The Matrix, Labyrinth and Napoleon Dynamite. Here's Freema on Twitter.

Takako Akashi (Japanese newsreader)
Career highlights
Takako's other credits include Jonathan Creek (2003), 47 Ronin (2013), Mr Holmes (2015), Flowers (2016) and Killers Anonymous (2019).

Hajaz Akram (Indian newsreader) Born Jan 1970
Career highlights
Hajaz has also appeared in Murder in Mind (2003), Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt Story (2004) and Queen Victoria's Men (2008).
Facts
Hajaz is the founder of the Academy of Asian and Ethnic Dramatic Arts, and the Hampstead Academy of Acting and Drama, as well as the charity Shout at Cancer.

Alistair Appleton (Alistair Appleton) Born Feb 12 1970
Career highlights
Alistair is principally a TV presenter, but has acted in a couple of programmes, including Rhona (2000) and Footballers' Wives (2002). He started his hosting career on House Doctor (2000-03), and has also fronted Garden Invaders (2001), Cash in the Attic (2002-05), Stately Suppers (2006), Escape to the Country (2007-14) and Escape to the Continent (2015).
Facts
Before becoming a TV presenter Alistair was a teacher in Poland and Germany and a journalist and translator in the Netherlands. Buddhist Alistair is also a qualified psychotherapist and practices mindfulness meditation. He is the founding chairman of the Shoreditch Morris Dancing Society. Here's his Twitter.

Dan Barratt (Dalek operator)
Dan's other credit is for Seasons of War (2015). He also works in musical theatre.

Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Daleks and Cybermen) Born Sep 29 1961 Click here for Nicholas Briggs' entry on Rose

Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith) Born Dec 6 1975 Click here for Noel Clarke's entry on Rose

Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler) Born Apr 18 1965 Click here for Camille Coduri's entry on Rose

Stuart Crossman (Dalek operator)

Doctor Who credits

Played: Voice of motorist in Shada (2003 audio)

Played: Voice of the Krargs in Shada (2003 audio)

Played: Voice of Constable in Shada (2003 audio)

Played: Dalek operator in Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday (2006)
Career highlights
Stuart's other credits include Weekend Bird (1997) and EastEnders (2004).

Maddi Cryer (Housewife)
Career highlights
Maddi's other credits include the impressions series You Gotta Be Jokin' (1991), as well as The Little and Large Show (1990-91), Rock with Laughter (1993) and Down to Earth (1995). As an impressionist who got through to the 1989 final of Opportunity Knocks, Maddi mimics the singing voices of Diana Ross, Doris Day, Karen Carpenter, Dusty Springfield, Beyonce Knowles and Lady GaGa, among others.

Anthony Debaeck (French newsreader) Jun 24 1967 to Aug 30 2013 (cancer)
Doctor Who credits
Played: French newsreader in Army of Ghosts (2006), The Sarah Jane Adventures: Secrets of the Stars (2008), Torchwood: Children of Earth (Days 3-4) (2009)
Career highlights
Belgian Anthony debuted in L'ete de la revolution (1989), then Premiers baisers (1992), Les vacances de l'amour (1997), Elisa Top Model (1996/99), Leopold (2000), Love Soup (2005), The Queen (2006), Carmen (2007), Clash of the Santas (2008), 1066 (2009), The Wolfman (2010), Zalika (2011) and Touch (2013).
Facts
Anthony is one of just two actors (along with Lachele Carl) to have played the same assumed character in Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood.

Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler) Born Mar 24 1972
Doctor Who credits
Played: Pete Tyler in Father's Day (2005), Rise of the Cybermen/ The Age of Steel (2006), Doomsday (2006)
Career highlights
Debuted in Genghis Cohn (1993), then Between the Lines (1993), The Chief (1994), A Breed of Heroes (1994), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1996), In a Land of Plenty (2001), Lloyd and Hill (2003), The Last King (2003), The Long Firm (2004), Color Me Kubrick (2005), Hannibal (2006), Spooks (2006), Outlanders (2007), Survivors (2008), Moses Jones (2009), The Young Victoria (2009), Rock and Chips (2010-11), Camelot (2011), Summer in February (2013), Vera (2013), Breathless (2013), The Driver (2014), Silent Witness (2015), Legends (2015), Maigret (2016-17), DCI Banks (2016), Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017), Top Boy (2019) and Noughts + Crosses (2020). Shaun also regularly played Steve Evans in Soldier Soldier (1995-96), Mark Rivers in Touching Evil (1997-99), and Detective Inspector Mike Lewis in Above Suspicion (2009-12).
Facts
Shaun appears in the video for Faith No More's I Started a Joke (1998), looking remarkably like Pete Tyler!

Barnaby Edwards (Dalek operator) Born Aug 20 1969 Click here for Barnaby Edwards' entry on Dalek

Paul Fields (Weatherman)
Career highlights
Other work includes By the Seat of the Pants (1998), Down to Earth (2003), Chris and the Dragon (2003) and Love Soup (2005).

Hadley Fraser (Gareth) Born Apr 21 1980
Career highlights
Debuted in Missing Moscow (2004), then took roles in The Lost Tribe (2009), The Fresh Beat Band (2009-10), Convincing Clooney (2011), Les Miserables (2012), The Wrong Mans (2014), Pompidou (2015), Sons of Liberty (2015), The Vote (2015), Holby City (2015), The Legend of Tarzan (2016), Him (2016), Decline and Fall (2017), Endeavour (2018) and Murder Manual (2020). Hadley also works extensively in musical theatre, including Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Pirates of Penzance, My Fair Lady and The Fantasticks.
Facts
Hadley is a member of the folk-rock band Sheytoons (co-member Ramin Karimloo is also an actor, and named his son after Hadley), as well as the group Knights of Hyperbole, and in 2014 released his own EP, Just Let Go. He is married to theatre actor Rosalie Craig. Here he is on Twitter.

Trisha Goddard (Trisha Goddard) Born Dec 23 1957
Career highlights
Trisha's career began as an air stewardess, occasionally writing travel articles, and after settling in Australia in the 1980s, she forged a TV career as a presenter for The 7.30 Report, and then fronting Everybody. She then produced and fronted more than 400 editions of the chat show Live It Up before moving to the UK in 1998 to host her own talk show, Trisha (1998-2010) and Trisha Goddard (2005-09). Since 2010, Trisha occasionally appeared on the US talk show Maury and had an American version of The Trisha Goddard Show between 2012-14. In 2020, Trisha took part in Dancing On Ice, but was the first celebrity to be voted off.
Facts
Trisha has made a living from listening to other people's problems, but has had to endure her own fair share too - she says she was physically abused by her stepfather as a child, was hooked on cannabis and ecstasy for four years, has battled clinical depression, discovered her first husband (Australian politician Robert Nestdale) was a closet homosexual, who later died of AIDS, and lost her schizophrenic sister when she committed suicide. When she discovered her second husband was having an affair with a TV researcher, Trisha suffered a mental breakdown and tried to kill herself, after which she spent five weeks in a psychiatric hospital. In 2008, she battled breast cancer.

David Hankinson (Dalek operator)
Doctor Who credits
Played: Daleks in Bad Wolf/ The Parting of the Ways (2005), Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday (2006), Daleks in Manhattan/ Evolution of the Daleks (2007), The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End (2008)
Career highlights
David's other work has largely been in the Doctor Who world, including an appearance in the 1996 fan spin-off video Ghosts of Winterborne. David has been a writer and copywriter, often for the BBC, since 2001, but has also worked for Screen International and LAW Creative, and has been a sub editor for the Guardian since 2020.

Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake Simmonds) Born Nov 5 1983
Doctor Who credits
Played: Jake Simmonds in Rise of the Cybermen/ The Age of Steel, Doomsday (2006)
Career highlights
Andrew's acting debut came playing Ben Carter in children's serial Byker Grove between 1997-99, after which he appeared in Russell T Davies's dramas Cucumber (2015) and Banana (2015), as well as companion series Tofu (2015), and played DS Gavin Armstrong in 64 episodes of teen soap Hollyoaks (2016-17). Andrew also hosted the UK Top 40 TV show between 2004-05 and was a regular presenter for Children's BBC (2002-06). He also does voiceover work for ITV2.
Facts
Andrew has been an out and proud gay TV personality since 2005, and has posed several times for gay magazines such as Attitude and Gay Times.

Raji James (Dr Rajesh Singh) Born Feb 24 1970
Career highlights
Debuted in Harry (1993), then appeared in Crocodile Shoes (1994), Chandler and Co (1995), Blind Men (1997-98), East is East (1999), Cry Wolf (2000), Coupling (2000), Murder in Mind (2003), Robin Hood (2006), Kick (2007), The Fixer (2009), Airborne (2012), Citizen Khan (2013), Killing Jesus (2015), Silent Witness (2016), The Black Prince (2017), Coronation Street (1998/2019) and Weapon (2020). Raji had regular roles as DS Vik Singh in The Bill (2000-02) and Ash Ferreira in 130 episodes of EastEnders (2003-05).
Facts
In 2007, Raji started a club night with fellow actor Ameet Chana based at Club 46, London (now defunct). Here he is on Twitter.

Paul Kasey (Cyber-Leader) Born Aug 5 1973 Click here for Paul Kasey's entry on Rose

Oliver Mellor (Matt) Born Jan 30 1981
Career highlights
Oliver made his screen debut in Doctor Who, after which he took roles in Hollyoaks: In the City (2006), The Royal (2007), Skins (2008), Bedlam (2012), Father Brown (2014) and Cold Feet (2019). He also played Dr Matt Carter in 74 episodes of soap Coronation Street (2010-13).
Facts
Before going into acting Oliver was a personal trainer and county rugby player in Berkshire. His wife is glamour model and Celebrity Big Brother 10 contestant Rhian Sugden, who in 2010 hit the headlines after exchanging several "racy" text messages with British TV host Vernon Kay. Before getting engaged to Rhian, Oliver had a five-month affair with his Coronation Street co-star Kym Marsh, who was married to fellow actor Jamie Lomas. Here's Oliver on Twitter.

Kyoko Morita (Japanese girl)
Career highlights
Japanese born Kyoko's other credits include Broken News (2005), My Dad the Communist (2009) and All That Remains (2016). She has also appeared in many West End productions, as well as kabuki theatre experiences, including Cine Illumine.

Tracy-Ann Oberman (Yvonne Hartman) Born Aug 25 1966
Career highlights
Debuted in Loved By You (1997), then appeared in Comedy Nation (1998), Casualty (1997-98), The Strangerers (2000), Rhona (2000), Starhunter (2001), Slightly Filthy Show (2001), Bob Martin (2000-01), Big Train (2002), SuperTex (2003), The Last Detective (2004), Bromwell High (2005), Sorted (2006), Mistresses (2009), Robin Hood (2009), Comedy Lab (2010), Sadie J (2011), The Great Ghost Rescue (2011), Monroe (2012), Filth (2013), Friday Night Dinner (2011-20), New Tricks (2014), Give Out Girls (2014), Toast of London (2012-20), Crims (2015), Brotherhood (2015), New Tricks (2014-15), Tracey Breaks the News (2017), Tracey Ullman's Show (2016-18), Zapped (2018), Plebs (2019), Grantchester (2020), After Life (2019-20), Dun Breedin' (2020), It's a Sin (2021) and Ridley Road (2021). Her most iconic role was Chrissie Watts in over 200 episodes of soap EastEnders (2004-05), while she has also provided the voice of Daisy in the children's series Thomas and Friends since 2015.

Awards

2005: British Soap Award for Best Storyline (EastEnders)

2005: British Soap Award for Best Dressed Star
Facts
Tracy-Ann is prolific on the radio, having either written or acted in over 600 plays. In 2004, she appeared on a celebrity edition of Mastermind, her specialist subject being the Imperial Roman family, and in 2009 appeared on Celebrity MasterChef. She also appears in the video for The Yeah You's single 15 Minutes (2009). In 2004, Tracy-Ann was honeymooning in Thailand with music producer Rob Cowan when they got caught up in the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, which resulted in around 230,000 people missing or dead. Here she is on Twitter.

Nicholas Pegg (Dalek operator) Click here for Nicholas Pegg's entry on Bad Wolf

Anthony Spargo (Dalek operator) Born 1982
Doctor Who credits
Played: Daleks in Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday (2006), Daleks in Manhattan (2007), The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End (2008)
Career highlights
Other credits include It's Paul Burling (2010), A Woodcutter's Tale (2014), Beautiful Relics (2014) and Pleased to Eat You! (2019). Anthony is also a stand-up comedian on the London circuit and a stage actor (including for Horrible Histories live).

David Warwick (Police Commissioner) Born Jan 15 1948

Doctor Who credits

Played: Kimus in The Pirate Planet (1978)

Played: Police Commissioner in Army of Ghosts (2006)

Career highlights

David debuted in Savage Messiah (1972), then Buggins' Ermine (1972), The Prince of Denmark (1974), The Glittering Prizes (1976), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976, as son Mark Perrin), Ripping Yarns (1979), Shelley (1980), Dear John (1987), On the Up (1990), The Bill (1990), Peak Practice (1994), All About Me (2002), EastEnders (2012), Surviving the Impact: A Tale of Restorative Justice (2015) and Trust Me Babydoll (2019).

Facts

David is the ex-partner of Doctor Who companion Louise Jameson.

Rachel Webster (Eileen)
This is Rachel's only credit.

Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell) Aug 6 1937 to Dec 10 2020 (Alzheimer's Disease)
Career highlights
Born Barbara-Ann Deeks, "Babs" (as many know her in the UK) made her screen debut as an uncredited schoolgirl in The Belles of St Trinian's (1954), then took roles in On with the Show (1958), Make Mine a Million (1959), Playgirl After Dark (1960), His Polyvinyl Girl (1961), Hair of the Dog (1962), Sparrows Can't Sing (1963, for which she was BAFTA nominated), Crooks in Cloisters (1964), A Study in Terror (1965), Dad's Army (1968), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Wild, Wild Women (1969), Up Pompeii! (1970), The Boy Friend (1971), Not Now Darling (1973), Comrades (1986), Super Gran (1987), Bluebirds (1989), You Rang, M'Lord? (1991), One Foot in the Grave (1995), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Little Crackers (2011), Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass (2016) and Babs (2017). To many she will be remembered for her repertory roles in the Carry On franchise, appearing in nine films, as well as the highlights film That's Carry On (1977, as co-host), three Carry On Christmas specials (1969-72), the stage play Carry On London (1973-75) and the series Carry On Laughing! (1975). Other memorable roles include Saucy Nancy opposite Jon Pertwee in Worzel Gummidge (1980) and Peggy Mitchell in over 1,500 episodes of soap EastEnders (1994-2016).

Awards

2000: Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to entertainment

2016: Dame Commander (DBE) of the order of the British Empire for services to charity and entertainment
Facts
Barbara was married three times - first to Ronnie Knight, a London gangster who in 1994 was jailed for seven years for his part in a £6m armed robbery in 1983; then to actor Stephen Hollings; and thirdly to former actor and recruitment consultant Scott Mitchell. She also spoke of an affair with her Carry On co-star Sid James between 1973-76 (dramatised in the play Cleo, Camping, Emmannuelle and Dick, and its TV adaptation Cor Blimey!), as well as romantic links to 1960s gangster Reggie Kray, footballer George Best, and Bee Gee Maurice Gibb. In 2014, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and campaigned for various related charities until her death.
This is Your Life: Barbara was the subject of Thames TV's This is Your Life on September 30th, 1992, surprised by host Michael Aspel on stage at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. Two Doctor Who actors paid tribute to her on the show - June Whitfield and Gareth Hunt. Link to The Big Red Book entry.

... and introducing...

Catherine Tate (Donna Noble ["The Bride"]) Born Dec 5 1969
Doctor Who credits
Played: Donna Noble in Doomsday (2006, as The Bride), The Runaway Bride (2006), Partners in Crime (2008), The Fires of Pompeii (2008), Planet of the Ood (2008), The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky (2008), The Doctor's Daughter (2008), The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008), Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead (2008), Midnight (2008), Turn Left (2008), The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End (2008), The End of Time (2009-10). Return appearances in The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle (all 2023)
Career highlights
Catherine's CV begins with Surgical Spirit in 1991, followed by Men Behaving Badly (1994), Barking (1998), London's Burning (1998), That Peter Kay Thing (2000), Harry Hill (2000), Attention Scum (2001), Big Train (1998-2002), Wild West (2002-04), Twisted Tales (2005), Bleak House (2005), Starter for 10 (2006), Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006), Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution (2007), Gulliver's Travels (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), Psychobitches (2012), Big School (2013-14), Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014), The Vote (2015), SuperBob (2015), Billionaire Boy (2016) and The Bed-Sitting Room (2016). She is most remembered for her own sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show, which ran between 2004-9, and for playing Nellie Bertram in the US version of The Office (2011-13). She has also written comedy material for herself and for the various sketch shows she has appeared in, and directed her own Little Cracker in 2010 for Sky TV. Her character Nan (aka Joanie Taylor) has also had her own spin-offs: Catherine Tate's Nan (2014-15) and This Nan's Life (2020). Since 2017 she has provided the voice of Magica De Spell in DuckTales.

Awards

2004: British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Newcomer (The Catherine Tate Show)

2006: British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress (The Catherine Tate Show)

2006: Royal Television Society Award for Best Comedy Performance (The Catherine Tate Show)
Facts
As a child Catherine suffered from an obsessive compulsive disorder and was obsessed with word association.

CREW

Russell T Davies (writer) Born Apr 27 1963 Click here for Russell T Davies' entry on Rose

Graeme Harper (director) Born Mar 11 1945 Click here for Graeme Harper's entry on The Caves of Androzani

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Helen Raynor (script editor) Born Mar 27 1972 Click here for Helen Raynor's entry on The Unquiet Dead

Fear Her

Its chameleon circuit may have broken
but the TARDIS still fits right in

One episode (Fear Her)
First broadcast June 24 2006
Average audience for story: 7.14m

REGULAR CAST

David Tennant (The Doctor) Born Apr 18 1971 Click here for David Tennant's entry on The Parting of the Ways

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) Born Sep 22 1982 Click here for Billie Piper's entry on Rose

GUEST CAST

Abisola Agbaje (Chloe) Born 1995
This is Abisola's sole acting credit to date. She was found by the casting director in an after-school drama club. Her sister is playwright Bola Agbaje, who in 2008 won an outstanding achievement Olivier Award for her debut play Gone Too Far!

Edna Doré (Maeve) May 31 1921 to Apr 11 2014 (emphysema)
Career highlights
Edna's acting debut on screen came at the age of 37 in Starr and Company (1958), followed by Jungle Street Girls (1960), The Citadel (1960), The Old Curiosity Shop (1963), Sherlock Holmes (1968), Doctor at Large (1971), The Liver Birds (1974), Open All Hours (1976), Terry and June (1982), Tenko (1984), Tickets for the Titanic (1988), High Hopes (1988), Hard Cases (1989), Streets Apart (1988-89), Anglo Saxon Attitudes (1992), Love Hurts (1993), Westbeach (1993), No Bananas (1996), Nil By Mouth (1997), The Canterville Ghost (1997), Peak Practice (2000), Goodbye Charlie Bright (2001), Weak at Denise (2001), Time Gentlemen Please (2000-02), Roger Roger (2003), Eyes Down (2003-04), All About George (2005), Minder (2009), Gavin and Stacey (2008-09), Shameless (2010) and Midsomer Murders (2011). It is for her role as Mo Butcher in 125 episodes of soap EastEnders (1988-90) that she may be most remembered.

Awards

1989: European Film Award for Best Supporting Performance (High Hopes)
Facts
Edna's husband was fellow actor and writer Alexander Doré. Edna specialised in characters affected by the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, which she portrayed to much acclaim in EastEnders, High Hopes and Gavin and Stacey. When she was picking up her European Film award in Paris, she was called up to the stage as "Edna Door" (her surname had an accent over the "e"). As she left clutching her prize, she muttered: "You'd think that at least in Paris they'd pronounce my bloody name right."

Huw Edwards (Commentator) Born Aug 18 1961

Career highlights

Huw was one of the UK's foremost current affairs broadcasters, starting out as a news trainee for the BBC in 1984 before joining BBC Wales as parliamentary correspondent in 1986. Between 1999-2003 he was presenter of the BBC Six O'Clock News and in 2003 became the main anchor for the BBC News at Ten. He also acted as the BBC's anchor for major news events such as Remembrance Day, Trooping the Colour, state ceremonies and elections. He has also presented a number of documentary series on subjects such as Welsh politics, classical music, religion and Welsh history. He can also be seen reading the news in Psychoville (2009), Casualty (2010) and Skyfall (2012).

Awards

2001: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter

2002: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter

2003: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter (The Exchange)

2004: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter (The Story of Welsh)

2005: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter

2010: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best On-screen Presenter (The Prince and the Plotter)

Facts

Huw's father was author Hywel Teifi Edwards, a research professor for Welsh language literature at the University of Swansea. In 2023, Huw was suspended from the BBC after tabloids revealed he had paid a teenager more than £35,000 since they were 17 for "sordid pictures". While representatives of the teenager stated nothing untoward happened (the teenager was estranged from their mother and stepfather, who made the allegations), the scandal resulted in Huw being submitted to hospital for treatment for depression. In 2024, the BBC edited Huw out of the Doctor Who episode Fear Her after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, some in the age seven-to-nine age category.

Erica Eirian (Neighbour) Born Aug 24 1956

Career highlights

Erica has also appeared in Body Beautiful (1991), The Bench (2001), Coronation Street (2008/12), and 14 episodes of The Indian Doctor as Sian Davies (2010-13). She has also worked extensively in Welsh language TV and theatre since 1979.

Tim Faraday (Tom's dad) Born 1966

Career highlights
Debuted uncredited in City of Joy (1992), followed by roles in London Bridge (1996), Wycliffe (1997), Silent Witness (1998), Killer Net (1998), Bugs (1998), Forgotten (1999), Do Not Disturb (1999), Bad Girls (2001), Murphy's Law (2004), My Dad's the Prime Minister (2004), North and South (2004), Secret Smile (2005), Rome (2007), Torn (2007), The Inbetweeners (2008), Primeval (2008-09), The Ghost Writer (2010), Call the Midwife (2012), Scar Tissue (2013), Jonathan Creek (2014), Ripper Street (2014), Critical (2015), Harvest of the Dead (2015), Marley's Ghosts (2016), Witless (2017-18), Trollied (2018), Killer Weekend (2018), Room Mates (2018), Are We Dead Yet (2019), Britannia (2019), Skullz (2020), Devil in the Woods (2021) and Lawrence After Arabia (2021). He also played Black Martin in Da Vinci's Demons (2013-14).

Facts

Before becoming an actor, Tim was a trained paramedic.

Stephen Marzella (Police officer) Born Oct 29 1959

Doctor Who credits

Played: Police officer in Fear Her (2006)

Played: Dave Penn in Torchwood: From Out of the Rain (2008)

Career highlights

Stephen debuted in Chariots of Fire in 1981, and secured his first on-screen credit in Sorry! (1987). Further work includes Harry Enfield and Chums (1994), Game On (1995), EastEnders (1997), High Hopes (2007), Mistresses (2008), A Bit of Tom Jones? (2009), Mr Nice (2010), Da Vinci's Demons (2013-14), The Windsors (2016), Cold Feet (2016) and Get Even (2020).

Richard Nichols (Driver)

Career highlights

Other work includes Lucky Bag (1999, which he also wrote for), My Family (2003/04), High Hopes (2003/07), Mind Games (2011), Living a Lie (2016) and Age of Outrage (2020).

Abdul Salis (Kel) Born Jul 6 1979

Career highlights

Debuted in The Hidden City (2002), then Love Actually (2003), Trevor's World of Sport (2003), Sahara (2005), Flyboys (2006), MI High (2008), Mid Life Christmas (2009), Outnumbered (2010), Strike Back (2011), Doctors (2013), Trendy (2017), Urban Myths (2018) and The Wheel of Time (2021). He played Curtis Cooper in over 60 episodes of Casualty (2008-09).

Nina Sosanya (Trish) Born Jun 6 1969
Career highlights
Nina debuted in The Bill (1992), then appeared in Prime Suspect 2 (1992), Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994), Jonathan Creek (2000), Urban Gothic (2000), The Jury (2002), Code 46 (2003), Love Actually (2003), Nathan Barley (2005), Casanova (2005), Sorted (2006), Wide Sargasso Sea (2006), Meadowlands (2007), Bonekickers (2008), FM (2009), Five Days (2010), Silk (2011), Vera (2012), Wizards vs Aliens (2012-13), Shetland (2014), Asylum (2015), You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015), Marcella (2016), Juliet, Naked (2018), Strike Back (2017-18), Red Joan (2018), Women on the Verge (2018), Killing Eve (2019), Good Omens (2019), Brave New World (2020), Little Birds (2020), His Dark Materials (2019-20) and Staged (2020-21). She also had recurring roles as Jenny Paige in Teachers (2001-02), Kate in Last Tango in Halifax (2012-15) and Lucy Freeman in W1A (2014-17), and provided voices for Moon and Me (2019) and Hilda (2018-20).

CREW

Matthew Graham (writer) Born 1968
Doctor Who credits
Wrote: Fear Her (2006), The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People (2011)
Career highlights
Matthew started out writing for children's drama Byker Grove (1992), then put pen to paper for This Life (1996-97), Thief Takers (1997), City Central (1998), The Last Train (1999), The Gentleman Thief (2001), Impact (2002), EastEnders (1992-2002), Spooks (2003), POW (2003, which he also created), Hustle (2004-05), Life on Mars (2006-07, which he also created), Bonekickers (2008, also creator), Ashes to Ashes (2008-10, also creator), Eternal Law (2012, also creator), Childhood's End (2015), Redwater (2017), Electric Dreams (2017) and The Spanish Princess (2019-20).

Awards

1997: Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for TV - Original Drama Serial (This Life) - shared with production team

2007: Broadcasting Press Guild Award (Life on Mars) - shared with Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah
Facts
When he was 11, Matthew read Laurence Kasdan's script for The Empire Strikes Back. Little did he know that years later he would be one of several successful writers (along with Chris Chibnall) invited to George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to help develop a series of scripts for a live-action Star Wars TV series called Underworld. The programme was eventually abandoned when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, but many of the ideas and themes were later fed into The Mandalorian.

Euros Lyn (director) Born Mar 1971 Click here for Euros Lyn's entry on The End of the World

Phil Collinson (producer) Born Aug 26 1970 Click here for Phil Collinson's entry on Rose

Simon Winstone (script editor) Born 1973 Click here for Simon Winstone's entry on Attack of the Graske