The Interstellar Song Contest

Rylan Clark's teeth survived
the deep freeze

One episode (The Interstellar Song Contest)

First broadcast: May 17 2025
Audience for story: 3.75m

REGULAR CAST

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

Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra) Born May 12 1992 Click here for Varada Sethu's entry on Boom

GUEST CAST

Iona Anderson (Wynn Aura-Kin)

Career highlights

Iona's debut came in The Long Call (2021), followed by Six Four (2023) and Grace (2025).

Rylan Clark (Rylan Clark) Born Oct 25 1988

Career highlights

Born Ross Richard Clark, 6ft 4in Rylan is one of the UK's most popular TV and radio presenters, but he started out as a performer at the age of 12, when he auditioned unsuccessfully for the teen pop band S Club Juniors. In 2005 he became a part-time model, adopting the stage name Rylan after seeing it in a book of baby names in W H Smith. He also tried to audition for Big Brother, formed part of various Take That and Westlife tribute bands, and was also in a Spanish boy band called 4bidden until 2010. It was The X Factor which proved to be Rylan's breakthrough in 2012, where he made it through boot camp to the live shows alongside James Arthur, but was finally eliminated in the quarter-finals. Rylan then became a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother (2013), going on to win the contest. A presenting career then followed, with work on Big Brother's Bit on the Side (2013-18), Celebrity Ghost Hunt (2017-18), Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two (2019-22), Supermarket Sweep (2019-20), Ready Steady Cook (2020-21) and various connections to the Eurovision Song Contest since 2018. Rylan has worked for BBC Radio 2 since 2018, first of all covering for absent presenters, and finally getting his own show in 2019. He has also appeared as himself in Stella (2014), Celebrity Gogglebox (2019- ) and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016).

Facts

In 2015, Rylan married Big Brother 14 housemate Dan Neal, but they divorced six years later, with Rylan admitting to having had extra-marital affairs, and suicide attempts following the split.

Charlie Condou (Gary Gabbastone) Born Jan 8 1973

Career highlights

Charlie's earliest screen credit was at the age of 12 in the TV movie The Key to Rebecca (1985), followed by roles in Robin of Sherwood (1986), The Storyteller (1988), A Sense of Guilt (1990), The Wolvis Family (1991), Eldorado (1992), Frank Stubbs (1993-94), Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), Pie in the Sky (1995), Gimme Gimme Gimme (1999), Urban Gothic (2000), Charlotte Gray (2001), Nathan Barley (2005), Secret Smile (2005), Fred Claus (2007), You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015), Unforgotten (2017) and The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2025). His best known role is Marcus Dent in over 300 episodes of soap Coronation Street (2007-14).

Facts

Charlie's best friend is actor Paul Bettany, and Charlie is godfather to Bettany and wife Jennifer Connelly's son Stellan.

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

Julie Dray (Sabine) Born Oct 6 1980

Career highlights

French Julie debuted in Whatever (1999), followed by A Wonderful Family (2002), Nestor Burma (2003), Navarro (2004), Commissariat Bastille (2006), Vive les Vacances! (2009), Doctors (2008/10), Land Girls (2011), Breaking the Bank (2014), Cradle to Grave (2015), Riviera (2017), Year of the Rabbit (2019), War of the Worlds (2019), King Gary (2020), A Bird Flew In (2021), The Traveller (2023), Ludwig (2024) and Les Mysteres du Clos des Lilas (2024).

Facts

Julie is trilingual, able to speak French, English and Spanish (she also knows some Norwegian and Hebrew). When she was 13 years old Julie won a competition to interview a pop star for a magazine, and from this became a columnist, using the profit from this to put herself through drama training.

Carole Ann Ford (Susan) Born Jun 16 1940 For a full career biography for Carole Ann Ford, click here.

Freddie Fox (Kid) Born Apr 5 1989

Career highlights

Freddie made his screen acting debut in 2009 in the TV series Marple, followed by work in St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009), Worried About the Boy (2010), Any Human Heart (2010), The Shadow Line (2011), The Three Musketeers (2011), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012), Lewis (2012), Parade's End (2012), Pride (2014), The Riot Club (2014), Banana (2015), Cucumber (2015), Victor Frankenstein (2015), An Ideal Husband (2018), Year of the Rabbit (2019), White House Farm (2020), The Crown (2020), The Pursuit of Love (2021), The Gentlemen (2024), House of the Dragon (2024) and The Sandman (2025). Regular roles include providing the voice of Dennis the Menace in Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! (2017-20), King Hugo in The Great (2020-23) and Spider Webb in Slow Horses (2022-23).

Facts

Freddie is a member of the famous Fox acting dynasty: his parents are Edward Fox and Joanna David, his cousins are Jack Fox and Laurence Fox (once married to Billie Piper), his uncles are James Fox and producer Robert Fox, and his sister is Silent Witness star Emilia Fox. Freddie is named after the film director Fred Zinnemann, who directed his father in the film The Day of the Jackal (1973).

Miriam-Teak Lee (Cora Saint Bavier) Born Nov 1 1994

Career highlights

Debuted in My Blood Galentine (2024), then Moominvalley (2020-24). She has also provided voices for videogames such as Dying Light 2: Stay Human (2022), The Inquisitor (2024) and Elroy and the Aliens (2025). Her main work has been on the stage, in musicals such as On the Town (2017), Hamilton (2017) and & Juliet (2019).

Awards

2017: The Stage Debut Award for Best Actress in a Musical (On the Town)

2020: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (& Juliet)

Facts

Her brother is actor Dex Lee, best known for playing Bear Sylvester in daytime soap Doctors (2019-24).

Imogen Kingsley Smith (Runner) Born Jul 3 2002

Career highlights

Imogen's other work includes Curse of the Witching Tree (2015), as well as various stage roles, such as Billy Elliot: The Musical (2014) and singing for Robbie Williams Live at the London Palladium (2013).

Kadiff Kirwan (Mike Gabbastone) Born Feb 3 1989

Career highlights

Kadiff's debut came in 2015 in Call the Midwife, followed by parts in Crims (2015), Black Mirror (2016), Drifters (2016), Chewing Gum (2015-17), Queers (2017), Strike (2017), Zapped (2018), Flack (2019), Fleabag (2019), Timewasters (2017-19), The Stranger (2020), Death in Paradise (2020), Time (2021), This Way Up (2019-21), This is Going to Hurt (2022) and My Policeman (2022). He also had regular roles in Slow Horses (2022-24) as Marcus Longridge and Everyone Else Burns (2023-24) as Andrew. He was also a script editor on This Way Up (2021).

Facts

Kadiff was born in Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat. In 1995, when Kadiff was six, the island's dormant volcano erupted, burying Plymouth and destroying the airport and dock. Part of the island became uninhabitable, leading to Kadiff's parents moving his family first to Antigua, then to the UK.

Akemnji Ndifornyen (Len Kazah) Born Nov 18 1989

Career highlights

Akemnji made his acting debut on screen in Out of Control (2002), followed by The Crouches (2003), Incubus (2006), Casualty (2007), Law and Order UK (2010), WPC 56 (2013), Sunny D (2016), Tango One (2018), Berlin Station (2018), Shrill (2019-20), Breeders (2020), Famalam (2018-20), The Queen's Gambit (2020), Black Ops (2023, which he also created and wrote for) and The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025). Recurring roles include Nathan Bailey in soap Doctors (2004-05) and Machiavelli in Leonardo (2011-12). He has also written for series such as Famalam (2018-20) and Horrible Histories (2021).

Awards

2019: BAFTA TV Craft Award for Breakthrough Talent (Famalam)

Graham Norton (Graham Norton) Born Apr 4 1963

Doctor Who appearances

Appeared: Feedback voice during debut transmission of Rose (2005)

Appeared: Animated form during debut transmission of The Time of Angels (2010)

Played: Graham Norton in Dermot and the Doctor (aka The Doctor Saves the Day) (National Television Awards, 2011)

Played: Graham Norton in Looking for Pudsey (aka Fantastic Beasts Special) (Children in Need, 2016)

Played: Graham Norton in 2023: The Eurovision Audition Tapes (Comic Relief, 2023)

Played: Graham Norton in The Interstellar Song Contest (2025)

Career highlights

Irishman Graham is Britain's biggest and most popular chat show host, having hosted his own show firstly on Channel 4, and then the BBC, since 1998. He started out as an actor and comedian, appearing in productions such as Growing Rich (1992), Absolutely Fabulous (2002), Another Gay Movie (2006), Holding (2022) and Mandy (2024). His breakthrough acting role was as Father Noel Furlong in sitcom Father Ted (1996-98). Graham has also been the British commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2008.

Awards

2000: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (So Graham Norton)

2000: British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality (So Graham Norton)

2001: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (So Graham Norton)

2001: Royal Television Society Award for Best Presenter (So Graham Norton)

2002: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (So Graham Norton)

2002: British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality (V Graham Norton)

2011: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (The Graham Norton Show)

2011: British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality (The Graham Norton Show)

2012: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (The Graham Norton Show)

2013: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Programme (The Graham Norton Show)

2015: BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme (The Graham Norton Show)

2017: National Television Special Recognition Award

2018: BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance (The Graham Norton Show)

Facts

Graham is married to TV director Jono McLeod. In 1989, aged 26, Graham was stabbed in the chest by muggers and left for dead. Graham (real surname Walker) was the model for the first ever talking waxwork as Madame Tussaud's in London (2001). He auditioned for the role of Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Graham's turn as his holographic self is actually the third time he has made an appearance in Doctor Who, although The Interstellar Song Contest was the first intended appearance. Feedback of his voice from his live show Strictly Dance Fever was heard during the opening moments of the debut transmission of Rose on BBC1 in 2005, while an animated rendition of Graham was seen overlaid rather obtrusively during the cliffhanger of The Time of Angels in 2010, advertising his show Over the Rainbow.

Archie Panjabi (The Rani) Born May 31 1972

Doctor Who credits

Played: The Rani in The Interstellar Song Contest, Wish World/ The Reality War (all 2025)

Career highlights

Debuting in London's Burning (1993), Archie (full name Archana) went on to appear in Siren Spirits (1994), The Thin Blue Line (1996), Dad (1997), East is East (1999), Murder in Mind (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), My Family (2002), White Teeth (2002), Canterbury Tales (2003), Sea of Souls (2004), Chromophobia (2005), Life on Mars (2006-07), Silent Witness (2007), Personal Affairs (2009), The Fall (2013-14), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2015), Shetland (2016), Bull (2017), Next of Kin (2018), Still Open All Hours (2019), Blindspot (2016-20), Snowpiercer (2022), Departure (2019-22), Hijack (2023) and Under the Bridge (2024). She appeared regularly as Rita Dhillon in Grease Monkeys (2003-04) and provided various voices (including Nisha and Meera) for Postman Pat between 2003-13. However, her biggest role to date is as Kalinda Sharma in more than 130 episodes of The Good Wife (2009-15).

Awards

2010: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (The Good Wife)

Christina Rotondo (Liz Lizardine) Born 1992

Doctor Who credits

Sang: The Goblin Song in The Church on Ruby Road (2023)

Played: Voice of Janis Goblin in The Church on Ruby Road (2023)

Played: Liz Lizardine in The Interstellar Song Contest (2025)

Career highlights

Christina is a singer songwriter and session musician who has provided work for the BBC, Roblox and Technikore.

Abdul Sessay (Jeddy Kine)

To be added...

Kiruna Stamell (Nina Maxwell) Born Mar 13 1981

Career highlights

Australian Kiruna, who is 3ft 6in tall, debuted as La Petite Princesse in Moulin Rouge! (2001), followed by roles in All the Small Things (2009), EastEnders (2008-09), Holby City (2014), Father Brown (2015), The New Pope (2019-20), Wuthering Heights (2020), Brassic (2021), The Serpent Queen (2022), Piglets (2024) and The Listeners (2024). Her most high profile role was as Kirsty Millar in 153 episodes of soap Doctors (2023-24). She also presented the Australian version of children's series Play School between (2018-20).

Facts

Kiruna, named after the Swedish city where her parents witnessed the Northern Lights, has a form of dwarfism caused by the genetic disorder Acromesomelic dysplasia. Her sister also has the same condition. In 1995 Kiruna won the South Pacific Silver Star Tap Dancing Championships, and in 2000 tap danced at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. She is married to stand-up comedian and actor Gareth Berliner, who appeared in The Woman Who Lived.

CREW

Juno Dawson (writer) Born Jul 10 1981

Doctor Who credits

Wrote: Doctor Who: Redacted (2022-23, podcast)

Wrote: The Interstellar Song Contest (2025)

Career highlights

Transgender Juno is best known for her novels, such as Hollow Pike (2012), Under My Skin (2015) and Stay Another Day (2021), as well as the Doctor Who book The Good Doctor (2018), the London trilogy (2018-20) and Her Majesty's Royal Coven series (2022-25). Non-fiction work includes Being a Boy (2013), This Book is Gay (2014) and What's the T? (2021). She has also written for Big Finish, including two Torchwood audios (2016/17), and would have written for the second series of Doctor Who spin-off Class if it had been recommissioned.

Awards

2020: Young Adult Book Prize (Meat Market)

Ben A Williams (director)

Career highlights

Ben's directorial debut was The Pass (2016), followed by Humans (2018), Baghdad Central (2020), War of the Worlds (2021), Sherwood (2022) and Six Four (2023). Ben also created the web series TubeTube (2012-14).