73 Yards

Ruby (Millie Gibson) tries to
work out what 73 yards is in
metres

One episode (73 Yards)

First broadcast: May 25 2024
Audience for story: 4.06m

REGULAR CAST

Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) Born Oct 15 1992 Click here for Ncuti Gatwa's entry on The Giggle

Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) Born Jun 19 2004 Click here for Millie Gibson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

GUEST CAST

Sophie Ablett (Marti Bridges)

Career highlights

Debuted in the 2016 short The Ringmaster, followed by Taboo (2017), Doctors (2020), A Brixton Tale (2021) and Anomalous (2022).

Rhyanna Alexander-Davis (Elizabeth Campbell) Born 1996

Career highlights

Rhyanna debuted played Miss Wannamaker in 13 episodes of CBBC's The Ministry of Curious Stuff (2017), followed by roles in The Revolting World of Stanley Brown (2012) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

Facts

Rhyanna also works as a social therapist for the NHS.

Ali Ariaie (Sanjay Miah)

Career highlights

Ali's first screen credit was on a 20126 episode of Raised By Wolves, followed by roles in Doctors (2019), Persuasion (2022), The Couple Next Door (2023) and Death in Paradise (2024). He also played Raskolvy in eight episodes of The Great (2021-23).

Dylan Baldwin (Security officer) Born 1980

Career highlights

Debuted in the short film Poof (1999), then Judge John Deed (2001), Brum (2001), Spy Wars (2019), The Inside Man (2022), Midnight Peepshow (2022), The Ex-Wife (2022), Coronation Street (2023), EastEnders (2023) and Dune Part Two (2024).

Aneurin Barnard (Roger ap Gwilliam) Born May 8 1987

Career highlights

Aneurin's earliest credit was in the 2003-04 TV series Jacob's Ladder, followed by roles in Y Pris (2007-08), Casualty (2008), Ironclad (2011), Powder (2011), Hunky Dory (2011), Citadel (2012), The Facility (2012), Mary Queen of Scots (2013), The White Queen (2013), Moonfleet (2013), Cilla (2014), The Scandalous Lady W (2015), War & Peace (2016), Thirteen (2016), SS-GB (2017), Dunkirk (2017), The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019), The Goldfinch (2019), Barkskins (2020), The Pact (2021), Time (2021), Peaky Blinders (2022), 1899 (2022), The Catch (2023), Steeltown Murders (2023), The Way (2024) and Timestalker (2024).

Awards

2010: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Spring Awakening)

Albey Brookes (Rufus Bray) Born Nov 29 1988

Career highlights

Debuted aged eight in The Bill (1996), then Jo Brand Through the Cakehole (1996), Harry Enfield and Chums (1996), Microsoap (1998-2000), Shades (2001), EastEnders (2004), The Last Man (2010) and Fame: The Musical (2020). Albey has also starred in West End productions such as Aladdin, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Nipper.

Graham Butler (Frank Hinchey) Born 1986

Career highlights

Further work includes The Engagement (2006), The Symmetry of Love (2010), Law and Order UK (2010), Suspects (2014), Two Down (2015), Penny Dreadful (2014-15), The Isle (2018), Bancroft (2020) and Dagr (2024).

Facts

His brother is producer Matthew Butler-Hart, author of the bestselling filmmaking book Full to the Brim with Fizz, Ginger and Fierce Determination.

David Constant (Armed policeman)

Career highlights

Further work includes The Ballad of Billy MacRae (2021) and Age of Outrage (2020-21).

Shane David-Joseph (Akhim Patil)

Career highlights

Other work includes Temple (2021) and the podcast series Radioman (2022).

Elan Davies (Thin Lucy)

This is Elan's first credited work on screen.

Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood) Born Apr 29 1949 Click here for Anita Dobson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

Maxine Evans (Lowri Palin) Born Nov 9 1966

Doctor Who credits

Played: Helen Sherman in Torchwood: Countrycide (2006)

Played: Lowri Palin in 73 Yards (2024)

Career highlights

Starting out in London's Burning (1994/97), Lowri's further credits include The Bill (1996), Next of Kin (1997), Canterbury Tales (2003), Goal! (2005), Perfect Parents (2006), Caught in the Act (2008), Poirot (2013), A Song for Jenny (2015), Call the Midwife (2015-16), Down the Caravan (2018), Time (2021), Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022), Steeltown Murders (2023) and Anfamol (2023). She also enjoyed a recurring role as Rhian in 37 episodes of Stella (2012-17). Maxine also worked as scriptwriter and storyliner on the HTV series Nuts and Bolts (1999-2002), which she also directed episodes of. Maxine also worked as a series editor on Crossroads and a storyliner on Coronation Street around this period.

Facts

Maxine is married to Neil Docking, a musician and writer who has worked on soaps as a storyliner also. Maxine has spoken candidly about her inability to have children, explaining that by the age of 21 she had not started her periods, and following an examination it was discovered that her womb had not developed fully, and she would never be able to have children.

Michelle Greenidge (Carla) Born Jun 15 1970 Click here for Michelle Greenidge's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

Hilary Hobson (The Woman)

This is Hilary's only work to date.

Jason May (Groundsman) Born August 3 1970

Doctor Who credits

Played: Captain Walker in TARDISode: The Impossible Planet (2006)

Played: SOCO in Torchwood: Everything Changes (2006)

Played: Groundsman in 73 Yards (2024)

Career highlights

Jason's credited career began with 2000's Nuts and Bolts, followed by A Mind to Kill (2001), Holby City (2002), The Bench (2002), Kiddo (2005), A Bit of Tom Jones? (2009), Cow (2009), Devil's Bridge (2010), Stella (2013), One Chance (2013), Da Vinci's Demons (2014), The Lighthouse (2016), The Watcher in the Woods (2017), The Crown (2019) and The Pact (2021).

Deeivya Meir (Newsreader)

Career highlights

Born in the UK to Guyanese-Indian parents, Deeivya's other work includes King of Bollywood (2004), The Bill (2005), EastEnders (2006), Manhunt (2019), War of the Worlds (2019), Mister Winner (2020), Roadkill (2020), The Midwich Cuckoos (2022) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). She has also worked in several video games, notably voicing Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter games.

Gwion Morris Jones (Ifor Jones) Born May 1999

Career highlights

Further work includes Marriage (2022), Dal Y Mellt (2022), Itopia (2023), Wolf (2023), The Winter King (2023) and Masters of the Air (2024).

Sian Phillips (Enid Meadows) Born May 14 1933

Career highlights

A grand dame of British entertainment, Sian's earliest credited screen work was in 1958's A Game for Eskimos, followed by roles in A Quiet Man (1959), Siwan: The King's Daughter (1960), Becket (1964), The Sex Game (1968), Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969), Under Milk Wood (1971), Shoulder to Shoulder (1974), How Green Was My Valley (1975-76), I, Claudius (1976), Warrior Queen (1978), Crime and Punishment (1979), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), Nijinsky (1980), Clash of the Titans (1981), Smiley's People (1982), Dune (1984), The Doctor and the Devils (1985), Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), Vanity Fair (1987), The Snow Spider (1988), Emlyn's Moon (1990), Perfect Scoundrels (1991), The Borrowers (1992), Heidi (1993), The Age of Innocence (1993), The Return of the Borrowers (1993), A Mind to Kill (1995), Ivanhoe (1997), House of America (1997), Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998), The Magician's House (1999), La Femme Nikita (1998-2000), The Magician's House II (2000), Ballykissangel (2002), The Last Detective (2003), The Murder Room (2005), The Gigolos (2006), Shortland Street (2008), New Tricks (2010), Lewis (2011), Under Milk Wood (2014), Strike (2017), Doctors (2018), Dream Horse (2020), Keeping Faith (2020-21), Silent Witness (2021) and Good Omens (2023).

Awards

1970: Royal Society of Film Critics (USA) Award for Best Supporting Actress (Goodbye, Mr Chips)

1977: BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress (I, Claudius)

1977: Royal Television Society Award for Best Performance (I, Claudius)

2000: Commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to drama

2001: BAFTA Cymru Special Award

2016: Dame Commander of the order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to drama

Facts

Sian has been married three times, firstly to Don Roy, secondly to international leading actor Peter O'Toole, and thirdly to actor Robin Sachs (son of Leonard Sachs, who appeared in The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve and Arc of Infinity - it's funny to think of Sian Phillips as President Borusa's daughter-in-law!). Both O'Toole and Sachs died in 2013. Her daughter Kate O'Toole is also an actor.

Glyn Pritchard (Eddie Jones)

Career highlights

Glyn's first screen credit was in Crossroads: King's Oak (1987-88) as Paul the cheffette, followed by roles in Death of a Son (1989), Paper Mask (1990), A Mind to Kill (1995), Coronation Street (1996), The Famous Five (1997), Animal Ark (1998), Dirty Work (2000), Brookside (2000-03, as Christy Murray), The Courtroom (2004), The Indian Doctor (2010), Stella (2013), Hinterland (2013), Law and Order UK (2014), Inspector George Gently (2015), Keeping Faith (2017), Andor (2022) and Bariau (2024).

Sion Pritchard (Joshua Steele)

Career highlights

Debuted in Cowbois ac Injans (2006), then Pen Talar (2010), Caerdydd (2009-10), PhoneShop (2010-11), The Indian Doctor (2013), Aberfan: The Fight for Justice (2016), Trollied (2016), Bang (2017), Tourist Trap (2018-19), Hidden (2019), Doctors (2024) and Mammoth (2024).

Amol Rajan (Amol Rajan) Born 1983

Career highlights

After working at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Amol became a presenter on The Wright Stuff (2006-07), as well as a researcher. He then became a print journalist on The Independent and London Evening Standard, becoming the first non-white editor of a national newspaper (the Independent) in over 100 years in 2013. Between 2011-13 Amol acted as advisor to Independent proprietor Evgeny Lebedev, son of Alexander Lebedev, former KGB attache. He later became a journalist for BBC Radio, and in 2023 became the presenter of University Challenge.

Facts

Indian-born Amol was named using Tamil customs as V. Amol (the V is his father's given name Varadarajan), and later altered his name to Amol Rajan. He is an outspoken anti-Royalist.

Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart) Born Jan 14 1965 Click here for Jemma Redgrave's entry on The Power of Three

Susan Twist (Hiker) Born c.1957 Click here for Susan Twist's entry on Wild Blue Yonder

Vee Vimolmal (Nurse)

Career highlights

Thai-born actor Vipavee started in Paris Skylight (2002), followed by 33 episodes of children's series Boobah as Sister (2003), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Ultimate Force (2005), Basic Instinct 2 (2006), The Omen (2006), Little Britain (2006), Emmerdale (2009), Casualty (2013), Tangent Room (2017), Backstrom (2020), Knights of Newgate (2021) and Sanningen (2023-24).

Facts

As a model in British photographer Tom Hunter's series Living in Hell and Other Stories, Vee was one of the first photographed faces exhibited in London's National Gallery

Amanda Walker (Old Ruby) Born Nov 29 1935

Career highlights

The hugely prolific Amanda debuted in 1959's The Enormous Shadow, followed by Jury Room (1965), The Heart of Midlothian (1966), Champion House (1967), The Expert (1969), The Doctors (1970), Ryan International (1970), Doomwatch (1971), The Strauss Family (1972), Adam Smith (1972-73), Rooms (1975), Sutherland's Law (1976), The Mill on the Floss (1979), Richard's Things (1980), Travelling Man (1985), Shades of Darkness (1986), Intimate Contact (1987), The New Statesman (1987), Shadow of the Noose (1989), Poirot (1990), Paul Merton: The Series (1991), Medics (1992), Nostradamus (1994), Dandelion Dead (1994), Bramwell (1996), The English Patient (1996), Fierce Creatures (1997), City Central (1999), Life Force (2000), The Railway Children (2000), Foyle's War (2002), Pollyanna (2003), Strange (2003), My Family (2003), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Cloud Atlas (2012), Sense8 (2017-18), Tell Me Everything (2022) and Rejoyce! (2024).

Facts

Amanda's husband is fellow actor Patrick Godfrey (who appeared in The Savages and The Mind of Evil), while their daughter is Kate Godfrey (head of voice for the Royal Shakespeare Company), and Amanda's mother was actor Madeleine Christie

Angela Wynter (Cherry) Born Jul 14 1957 Click here for Angela Wynter's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

Miles Yekinni (Craig Deloach)

Career highlights

Miles's further work includes Julius Caesar (2011), Doctors (2016), Krypton (2018), Cursed (2020), Britannia (2021), Slow Horses (2022), The Turkish Detective (2023) and The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024).

CREW

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

Dylan Holmes Williams (director) Born Dec 1992

Doctor Who credits

Directed: 73 Yards (2024), Dot and Bubble (2024)

Career highlights

Starting out by writing and directing several short films, such as Lick (2015) and The Devil's Harmony (2019), Dylan's directing work includes music videos for Ash and Banfi, as well as episodes of Servant (2022-23).

Awards

2020: Jury Prize for International Fiction (The Devil's Harmony)

Boom

Ruby and the Doctor decide 
whether to bother going out today

One episode (Boom)

First broadcast: May 18 2024
Audience for story: 3.58m

REGULAR CAST

Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) Born Oct 15 1992 Click here for Ncuti Gatwa's entry on The Giggle

Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) Born Jun 19 2004 Click here for Millie Gibson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

GUEST CAST

Joe Anderson (John Francis Vater) Born Mar 26 1982

Career highlights

Debuted aged five in Cause Celebre (1987), followed by Creep (2004), Midsomer Murders (2005), Afterlife (2005), Becoming Jane (2007), Across the Universe (2007), Control (2007), The Ruins (2008), The 27 Club (2008), Love Happens (2009), The Crazies (2010), The Grey (2011), The River (2012), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012), Horns (2013), Hercules (2014), The Divide (2014), Hannibal (2015), Outsiders (2016-17), Backdraft 2 (2019), Brave New World (2020), The Reckoning (2020), Soulmates (2020) and The Last Front (2024).

Facts

Joe's father is actor Miles Anderson, while his mother is talent agent Lesley Duff and his brother is streetboard world champion Max Anderson. You can see Joe as part of the cast of Control in the Killers' music video for their cover of Joy Division's Shadowplay. Joe is also a musician, having sung various Beatles songs in Across the Universe, played guitar as Joy Division's Peter Hook in Control, wrote and performed the theme song for The 27 Club, and played trumpet in Horns.

Bhav Joshi (Canterbury James Olliphant)

Career highlights

Bhav (a Scottish actor of Indian origin) started out in the short film War Letters (2014), followed by roles in Cuckoo (2019), Traces (2019), Deadwater Fell (2020), Shakespeare & Hathaway (2020), Falling for Figaro (2020), Dead Pixels (2021), Vigil (2021), Guilt (2021), The Baby (2022), Tetris (2023), The Diplomat (2023) and Granite Harbour (2022-24).

Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy (Carson) Born Jan 5 1990

Career highlights

Majid - aka Luke Jerdy - has also appeared in The Turing Enigma (2011), Doctors (2011), Act/Or (2015), Chosen (2016), Indigo Children (2018) and The Shape of Things (2023). He will be best remembered for playing Jesse Donovan in 249 episodes of Hollyoaks between 2016-20.

Facts

Majid's wife is fellow actor and singer Daisy Wood-Davis.

Varada Sethu (Mundy Flynn) Born May 12 1992

Doctor Who credits

Played: Mundy Flynn in Boom (2024)

Played: Belinda Chandra in The Robot Revolution, Lux, The Well, Lucky Day, The Story & The Engine, The Interstellar Song Contest, Wish World/ The Reality War (2025)

Career highlights

Indian-born Varada's earliest credit was the short film Impressions (2010), followed by Sket (2011), English: An Autumn in London (2012), Doctors (2015), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016), New Blood (2016), Doctor Foster (2017), Hard Sun (2018), Hanna (2019), Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), I Came By (2022), Annika (2023) and Mrs Sidhu Investigates (2023). Varada also played Manisha Chetri in 17 episodes of Strike Back (2017-20) and Cinta Kaz in eight episodes of the Star Wars series Andor (2022).

Facts

Her birth name is Varada Sethumadhavan. In 2010 she won the Miss Newcastle contest. At university she studied first veterinary medicine, and then physiology.

Caoilinn Springall (Splice Alison Vater) Born 2013

Career highlights

Further work includes The Midnight Sky (2020), Citadel (2023) and Stopmotion (2023).

Susan Twist (Ambulance) Born c.1957 Click here for Susan Twist's entry on Wild Blue Yonder

CREW

Steven Moffat (writer) Born Nov 18 1961 Click here for Steven Moffat's entry on The Empty Child

Julie Ann Robinson (director)

Doctor Who credits

Directed: Space Babies (2024), Boom (2024)

Career highlights

Julie's earliest directing work was on three episodes of daytime soap Doctors (2000-01), followed by work on Cutting It (2003), Blackpool (2004), Holby City (2001-05), Coming Down the Mountain (2007), Grey's Anatomy (2006-09), Big Love (2009), Pushing Daisies (2009), The Last Song (2010), Pan Am (2011), Weeds (2007-12), Parks and Recreation (2013), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-14), Scandal (2013-14), Nurse Jackie (2015), Orange is the New Black (2015), Masters of Sex (2016), Losing It (2017), The Good Place (2018), Bridgerton (2020) and History of a Pleasure Seeker (2022).

Facts

Julie lives with her husband in Pasadena, USA. In 2017, she and actor Sean Maguire organised a Syrian refugee benefit in Los Angeles.

The Devil's Chord

"What's that? Some fans believe
my performance was a little...
Over. The. TOP?!"

One episode (The Devil's Chord)

First broadcast: May 11 2024
Audience for story: 3.91m

REGULAR CAST

Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) Born Oct 15 1992 Click here for Ncuti Gatwa's entry on The Giggle

Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) Born Jun 19 2004 Click here for Millie Gibson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

GUEST CAST

Sherinne Kayra Anderson (Tea trolley lady) Born 1983

Career highlights

Sherinne is a trained dancer and choreographer, and has performed in music videos for acts such as Alphabeat, Fifty Phantoms, Leee John, La Roux and MIA, has danced on stage in support of acts like Leona Lewis (2008 Top of the Pops), CeeLo Green (2011 Brit Awards) and Rihanna (2016 Brit Awards), and appeared on TV in programmes such as Game of Thrones (2009) and Bridgerton (2020-22).

Shirley Ballas (Shirley Ballas) Born Sep 6 1960

Career highlights

Shirley is best known as a professional ballroom dancer and choreographer, and particularly as head judge on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing since 2017. She began dancing at the age of seven, and by the age of 23 she and husband/ dance partner Sammy Stopford had won the professional Latin category at 1983's Blackpool Dance Festival. She divorced Stopford in 1984, and married new dance partner Corky Ballas in 1985, both winning the professional Latin categories at the 1995 and 1996 Blackpool Dance Festivals. Shirley and Corky's son Mark is also a professional dancer and choreographer, finding success as a professional dancer on the American series Dancing with the Stars since 2007.

George Caple (Paul McCartney)

Doctor Who credits

Played: Alfie in Flux: Survivors of the Flux (2021)

Played: Paul McCartney in The Devil's Chord (2024)

Career highlights

George debuted in Doctors (2016), followed by Tin Star (2020) and Lethal Love (2023).

Philip Davies (George Harrison)

Murray Gold (Murray Gold) Born Feb 28 1969

Doctor Who credits

Composer: Series 1-10 (2005-2017), The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, The Giggle, Series 14- (2023- )

Career highlights

Murray's other composing work includes Vanity Fair (1998), Love in the 21st Century (1999), Queer as Folk (1999-2000), Beautiful Creatures (2000), Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased (2000-01), Miranda (2001), Clocking Off (2000-02), The Second Coming (2003), Servants (2003), Hawking (2004), Mine All Mine (2004), Casanova (2005), Alien Autopsy (2006), Mischief Night (2006), Death at a Funeral (2007), The Devil's Whore (2008), Single Father (2010), Scott and Bailey (2011-12), Shameless (2004-13), The Musketeers (2014), Life Story (2014-15), Cucumber (2015), Vicious (2016), Last Tango in Halifax (2012-16), A Very English Scandal (2018), Years and Years (2019), Quiz (2020), It's a Sin (2021), Magpie Murders (2022) and Gentleman Jack (2019-22).

James Hoyles (Ringo Starr)

Laura June Hudson (Elderly woman)

Doctor Who credits

Costume designer: The Ribos Operation (1978), Destiny of the Daleks (1979), The Creature from the Pit (1979), The Horns of Nimon (1979-80), The Leisure Hive (1980), Meglos (1980), Warriors' Gate (1981), Logopolis (1981)

Played: Mrs Linderhof in Class: For Tonight We Must Die (2018)

Played: Elderly woman in The Devil's Chord (2024, as Laura June Hudson)

Career highlights

As a costume designer and wardrobe supervisor, June has worked on Till Death Us Do Part (1966), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976), Survivors (1976), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), Blake's 7 (1979), The Basil Brush Show (1979), Jane (1982), The New Adventures of Lucky Jim (1982), Dombey & Son (1983), All Creatures Great and Small (1988), EastEnders (1985-88), Nudes in Tartan (2011) and Going Green (2012).

As an actress, June (often credited as Laura June Hudson) has appeared in The Bill (2001), Judge John Deed (2001), Derek (2013-14), Marley's Ghosts (2015), This Country (2018), Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019), This England (2022), Room 7 (2022) and Wicked Little Letters (2023). She has also appeared in many TV advertisements.

Facts

June auditioned, but failed to win, the role of the ill-fated Mrs Pitt in Mummy on the Orient Express (2017). She has written at length about her time costume designing for Doctor Who, and Tom Baker, on Baker's website here.

Simon Jason-Smith (Vinnie)

Jeremy Limb (Timothy Drake) Born 1971

Career highlights

Jeremy's debut came in 2007's Comedy Cuts, followed by Miranda (2010), The Royal Bodyguard (2011), The Death of Stalin (2017), Traitors (2019) and Ghosts (2021). He has also written material for the series Harry Enfield and Chums (1998), The In Crowd (2004) and The Now Show (2009-12).

Facts

His father is Roger Limb, the musician who composed the incidental scores for eight Doctor Who stories between 1981-85. 

Chris Mason (John Lennon) Born Feb 14 1991

Career highlights

Chris debuted in Justice (2011), then The Fades (2011), Lightfields (2013), Vampire Academy (2014), Our World War (2014), Legend (2015), Between Two Worlds (2016), Wonderkid (2016), Broadchurch (2017), The Resident (2020), Dirty John (2020), Riverdale (2021), Killing It (2022), FBI: Most Wanted (2022) and Dune: The Sisterhood (2024).

Facts

His wife is Spencer Locke, the American actor best known for playing Kylie in Cougar Town.

Jinkx Monsoon (Maestro) Born Sep 18 1987

Career highlights

Jinkx is the stage name of Hera Hoffer, a drag queen, actor, singer and comedian who rose to fame after winning RuPaul's Drag Race in 2013. Subsequent TV appearances include Blue Bloods (2014), Blame the Hero (2019), AJ and the Queen (2020), HouseBroken (2023), Teenage Euthanasia (2023) and Adventure Time (2023), as well as many returns to various series of Drag Race. Jinkx's musical strand includes appearances in videos from Blondie (2017's Doom or Destiny) and Blair St Clair (2018's Now or Never), as well as her own albums such as The Inevitable Album (2014) and The Ginger Snapped (2018), and many music videos. Jinkx has also appeared on stage, and on Broadway in Chicago playing Mama Morton.

Facts

Hera stated in 2017 that she identified as non-gendered/ non-binary and went by singular 'they' pronouns when not in drag. In 2024 she stated that she identified as trans-femme and used she/ her pronouns. Hera suffers with narcolepsy.

Johannes Radebe (Johannes Radebe) Born Apr 27 1987

Career highlights

South African born Johannes has been a ballroom dancer since an early age, later a choreographer, and is best known for working in those capacities on Strictly Come Dancing since 2018. Before that, he'd been a professional dancer on the South African versions of Strictly and Dancing with the Stars since 2014. Before finding fame, he's danced on cruise ships, and competed in the Professional South African Latin Championships, becoming Amateur Latin South African Champion three times.

Kit Rakusen (Henry Arbinger) Born 2012

Career highlights

Kit's earliest work was in four episodes of Isolation: The Series (2020), followed by Belfast (2021), PAW Patrol (2021), The Midwich Cuckoos (2022), Cupid (2022), Consecration (2023) and Knuckles (2024). His most high profile roles were playing Josiah in Foundation (2023) and Dick Barnard in The Famous Five (2023-24).

Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Cilla Black) Born 1992

Career highlights

Josie's other work includes The Hound and the Rabbit (2015) and providing the voice of Frizzle in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023).

Chan Shoker (Studio producer)

Career highlights

Chan debuted in Doctors (2018), then Is This Sexual Harassment? (2019), Emmerdale (2015/19), Ackley Bridge (2021) and Phoenix Rise (2023).

Susan Twist (Tea Lady) Born c.1957 Click here for Susan Twist's entry on Wild Blue Yonder

Ed White (George Martin)

Career highlights

Debuting in Mamma Mia! (2008), Ed's further work includes Man in an Orange Shirt (2017), Home Alone (2017), Hollyoaks (2019), Krypton (2019), Midsomer Murders (2021), The Pope's Exorcist (2023), Doctors (2023), Maryland (2023) and Under the Blue (2024).

CREW

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

Ben Chessell (director)

Doctor Who credits

Directed: The Devil's Chord (2024), Rogue (2024)

Career highlights

Australian Ben's earliest directing work was for the 2002 short The Only Person in the World, followed by Heartworm (2004), Little Deaths (2007), Dance Academy (2010), Rescue Special Ops (2011), Rush (2010-11), Camp (2013), Sucker (2015), Offspring (2012-17), Doctor Doctor (2017-18), The Family Law (2017-19), Girl/ Haji (2019), The Great (2020), Surviving Summer (2022) and Deadloch (2023).

Facts

Ben studied ecology and medieval history at university in Melbourne.

Space Babies

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa)
can see you now

One episode (Space Babies)

First broadcast: May 11 2024
Audience for story: 4.01m

REGULAR CAST

Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor) Born Oct 15 1992 Click here for Ncuti Gatwa's entry on The Giggle

Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) Born Jun 19 2004 Click here for Millie Gibson's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

GUEST CAST

Sami Amber (Voice of Eric)

Career highlights

Child actor Sami's earliest credit was providing the voice of Billy in an episode of Love, Death and Robots (2021), followed by Jerk (2021), Ted Lasso (2021), Dalgliesh (2021), The Walk-In (2022), Hijack (2023) and Sexy Beast (2024).

Lonnee Archibong (Voice of Adjani)

Yasmine Bouabid (Lucia Colasanto)

Career highlights

Debuted in Eclipses (2016), followed by The Flower of Aleppo (2016), Case 460 (2019) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). She also enjoyed a regular role as Waad in 23 episodes of The Road to Paradise (2021-22).

Michelle Greenidge (Carla) Born Jun 15 1970 Click here for Michelle Greenidge's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

Mason McCumskey (Eric)

Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps (Poppy)

Played: Poppy in Space Babies (2024), The Story & the Engine (2025), Wish World/ The Reality War (2025)

Shola Olaitan-Ajiboye (Voice of Poppy)

Shola has mixed race parentage - her father is Nigerian and her mother is Bulgarian.

Jesus Reyes Ortiz (Rico Trieste) Born Jul 1982

Career highlights

American Jesus is a ballroom, Latin and salsa instructor based in the UK with his own dance school.

Param Patel (Voice of Marcel) Born 2013

Golda Rosheuvel (Jocelyn Sancerre) Born May 2 1970

Doctor Who credits

Played: Dr Angela Connolly in Torchwood: Dead Man Walking (2008), Exit Wounds (2008)

Played: Jocelyn in Space Babies (2024)

Career highlights

Guyana-born Golda made her screen debut in Lava (2001), followed by The Bill (2005), Casualty (2006), Colonial Gods (2009), Luther (2011), Coronation Street (2012), Dead Boss (2012), Threesome (2012), Mr Stink (2012), Rev. (2014), EastEnders (2015), Muse (2020), Death in Paradise (2021), Dune: Part One (2021) and Orion and the Dark (2024). She will be best known for playing Queen Charlotte in 13 episodes of Bridgerton (2020-22) and its spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023).

Robert Strange (Bogeyman) Born 1989

Doctor Who credits

Played: Wrarth Warrior [Sergeant Zogroth] in The Star Beast (2023, uncredited)

Played: Bogeyman in Space Babies (2024)

Played: Robot 2 in The Robot Revolution (2025)

Career highlights

6f5 5in tall Robert (who also performs under his birth surname of Nairne (Strange is his mother's maiden name)) is a busy creature performer and puppeteer whose earliest credit was in 2014's The Nightmare of Nevermoor, followed by Penny Dreadful (2014), Howl (2015), Londongrad (2015), Red Dwarf (2016), The Crown (2016), Zapped (2017), Survive the Night (2019), Boys from County Hell (2020), The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), The Winter King (2023) and The Wheel of Time (2025). He has performed in each of the five Star Wars films released between 2015-19, including Professor Allium in The Force Awakens and Kullbee Sperado in Rogue One.

Cadence Williams (Voice of Sandra)

To be added...

Angela Wynter (Cherry) Born Jul 14 1957 Click here for Angela Wynter's entry on The Church on Ruby Road

CREW

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

Julie Ann Robinson (director)

Doctor Who credits

Directed: Space Babies (2024), Boom (2024)

Career highlights

Julie's earliest directing work was on three episodes of daytime soap Doctors (2000-01), followed by work on Cutting It (2003), Blackpool (2004), Holby City (2001-05), Coming Down the Mountain (2007), Grey's Anatomy (2006-09), Big Love (2009), Pushing Daisies (2009), The Last Song (2010), Pan Am (2011), Weeds (2007-12), Parks and Recreation (2013), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-14), Scandal (2013-14), Nurse Jackie (2015), Orange is the New Black (2015), Masters of Sex (2016), Losing It (2017), The Good Place (2018), Bridgerton (2020) and History of a Pleasure Seeker (2022).

Facts

Julie lives with her husband in Pasadena, USA. In 2017, she and actor Sean Maguire organised a Syrian refugee benefit in Los Angeles.