DOCTOR WHO Has Replaced Millie Gibson's Companion With ANDOR Star Varada Seethu For 2025 Series

DOCTOR WHO Has Replaced Millie Gibson's Companion With ANDOR Star Varada Seethu For 2025 Series

Word has leaked that Doctor Who will only feature Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday for the show's first season and then a handful of season 2 episodes. Why? Well, the Time Lord is getting a new companion...

By JoshWilding - Jan 21, 2024 10:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Doctor Who
Source: SFFGazette.com

Millie Gibson made her Doctor Who debut as new companion Ruby Sunday in last month's Christmas Special. The response to both the actress and character has been extremely positive, but it appears Gibson's role in the series moving forward will be smaller than expected and end much sooner than anticipated. 

According to Mirror Online (via SFFGazette.com), the actress is set to be replaced in the show's second season by Andor star Varada Seethu. The decision was reportedly made by showrunner Russell T Davies after filming had wrapped on the show's upcoming season 1. 

However, the site notes that Gibson will still have a role in Davies' second batch of episodes, but only for what's described as a "handful of appearances." She also isn't expected to be part of the next festive special.

Doctor Who will return with its new season 1 (season 14 if you consider it part "NuWho" era) this May with Gibson starring alongside Ncuti Gatwa in all eight episodes. In season 2, she'll show up in only three of them, with her final appearance expected to be a "standalone" story ending her time with the Doctor. 

It's worth noting that Davies has said on numerous occasions that he'd like to see the Doctor with a new companion each season, and Bill Potts, for example, only stuck around for one batch of episodes during Peter Capaldi's stint as the Doctor. However, fans have grown used to many companions being around for the long haul, including Rose, Clara, and Amy.

That's given them the chance to develop as much as the Doctor him/herself, so we'll see whether this shortened run gives Gibson chance to make her mark. 

Seethu will be best known to many of you for her role as Cinta in Andor but has also starred in Doctor Foster, Jurassic World Dominion, Strike Back, and Now You See Me 2. She's already started filming in Cardiff and is 32; Gibson, meanwhile, is only 19. That should lead to two very different dynamics with the Time Lord.

"Millie Gibson has all but left now and there’s a brand new companion, which is really exciting," an insider says. "Russell is keeping things moving and isn’t letting the grass grow, that’s for sure. Varada is a real gem, Russell was just blown away by her talent. The cast and crew have really warmed to her and he’s sure the fans will too."

While this news does come from a British tabloid, they've long had the inside scoop on Doctor Who and frequently break stories like this in advance (during Davies' previous stint as showrunner, that included the casting of Catherine Tate, for example). The trades have also since confirmed the change.

How do you feel about this change in companions? 

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TheyDont
TheyDont - 1/21/2024, 10:06 AM
We know why.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/21/2024, 10:08 AM
@TheyDont - yet we have to twiddle our thumbs and pretend we don't have a clue why
Variant
Variant - 1/21/2024, 10:14 AM
@lazlodaytona - Bigots these days haven't tried pretending shit. What are you talking about?
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 1/21/2024, 10:22 AM
@TheyDont - did u say this when they replaced Rose with Martha?!
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/21/2024, 10:23 AM
@Variant -



what are YOU talking about?
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 10:26 AM
@Nightwing1015 - or how about when Martha was replaced after one season for that matter.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/21/2024, 10:26 AM
@Nightwing1015 - Clark and Bruce don't know any Rose.


Variant
Variant - 1/21/2024, 10:33 AM
@lazlodaytona - Ah, then the playing stupid...
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 10:57 AM
@Variant - Yup and all ignoring this bit of the article...

'It's worth noting that Davies has said on numerous occasions that he'd like to see the Doctor with a new companion each season, and Bill Potts, for example, only stuck around for one batch of episodes during Peter Capaldi's stint as the Doctor.'

I mean if RTD from the getgo was saying he would like to have a new companion every season then this shouldn't be a thing at all as means likely Varada Seethu will get only one season too (if even a full season) just like the non-white character Bill Potts and Martha characters had relatively short times in the TARDIS compared to the longer running NewWho ones like Rose and Amy. Heck try and find many that had more than two seasons, new Who only had one other in more than two and that was Yas prior to Donna back then Ruby.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/21/2024, 7:11 PM
@Variant -
Batmangina
Batmangina - 1/21/2024, 10:20 AM
This is pure gold.

Imma bookmark this one and come back to it when Doctor WHO is cancelled next year.
Tonic24k
Tonic24k - 1/21/2024, 10:36 AM
@Batmangina - That's enough with the hateful rhetoric. I suggest trying to express yourself more intelligently.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 1/21/2024, 10:50 AM
@Tonic24k - I'm bookmarking it so I can come back later and call out everyone in this thread who didn't support this non agenda driven choice.
Variant
Variant - 1/21/2024, 11:54 AM
@Batmangina - You have such an obsession with "agendas", normal shit can't even exist without you complaining.

You whine waaayyyy too much. No wonder you get called out so often.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 1/21/2024, 2:20 PM
@Variant - If you think all the ridiculous DEI programming is normal you're part of the problem.

I'm not getting called out for shit - I'm the one yelling first, so that's not the 'gotcha' you think it is.

IDGAF

I like the shit I like and I make it known on both sides of the equation.

Doctor WHO USED to be great and now it's not and they pretend dumb ass shit like making Davros walk means something. GTFO.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 10:21 AM
Hard to say what to make of this without knowing exactly how the individual and long arc stories pan out. Not averse to the idea of mixing things up with a new companiion per season if there are sound reasons for it narratively speaking.

Loved Ruby and her dynamic with the Doctor in the Christmas special but that alone if not enough to go on in regard to if it will be an issue her tenure being short or not but could be indicative that the next season revolves around her and that story resolved by the end of it so...

...If the Doctor himself is heading where I think he is then can see why such a young positive bright light of a character may for story reasons need to be sidelined for an older different style of companion but as it stands hope Millie does still return at a later stage where appropriate.

Just hate when the likely departure is leaked so early on, this feels like the leak about Eccleston only having one season WAY too soon all over again.

Generaly have liked the idea of revisiting companions when the story dictates, especialy if they had a shorter time with the Doctor or less than satisfying conclusion to their time as one. Maybe they will line up Millie having a role at UNIT and/or in one of the spinoffs we are meant to be getting.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 1/21/2024, 10:24 AM
That’s dissapointing since I liked her in The recent Christmas special but if they can give a satisfying resolution to her story then I’m cool with it!!.

I can see her finding out more about her background and parents but leaving when that is resolved , I just hope nothing tragic happens like it does with most of the modern companions I feel.

Anyway , Varada Seethu did well in Andor with the material she had (don’t think I have seen her in anything else) so i would be interested to see her alongside Ncuti’s Doctor moving forward!!.
Repian
Repian - 1/21/2024, 10:29 AM
Racist comments in 3,2,1...
DocSpock
DocSpock - 1/21/2024, 10:30 AM

It is clear why they made the change.

That's how things are now.

Everyone just get over it.

NGFB
NGFB - 1/21/2024, 10:41 AM
That's not an upgrade.
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 10:43 AM
Martha has 1 season, Donna had 1 season, Bill had 1 season and Rose had 2. It's nothing out of the ordinary and I don't understand why the need to make it about race (well, I do, but yk)
Scarilian
Scarilian - 1/21/2024, 10:59 AM
@Polaris -
She was supposed to be around for at least 2 full seasons and was contracted for three seasons. Same goes for Ncuti.

To have her quit mid-filming on Season 2, four episodes in out of eight, is odd.

To have Ncuti state desire to do other things after filming just a single season is odd.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 11:06 AM
@Polaris - Technicaly Rose had more than 2, kept returning after her initial continuous run...

...but was also true of classic who, most only appeared in a single season or two in regard to main companions, only a few stuck around for 3
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 1/21/2024, 11:24 AM
@Apophis71 - I guess she means as the main companion which is true

Also was it me or Rose my least favorite RTD companion?.

She’s not bad but I like her less then Martha & Donna , she’s just ok overall.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 11:30 AM
@TheVisionary25 - Billy was better in Secret diaries put it that way, lol, my fav was Amy personally but in regard to Tennants companion would be Donna outside the special with Kylie Minogue although the story with the Master being PM in his flying ship featuring Martha was top notch.

Rose's selling point was less about her in many ways and more about the will they won't they relationship stuff which I'm not big on generaly speaking (less of an issue if any with the more one sided attractions like Martha and Amy).
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 11:30 AM
@Apophis71 - Yeah, and Donna also came back, Martha too for an special iirc, so I guess Millie could come back in the future, but one season as the main companion is normal. Keeping them longer seems more like a Moffat thing than a Doctor Who thing.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 11:35 AM
@Polaris - True but in some ways never felt like Rose ever left during the Tennant runs how oft she was referenced, cameo'd or fully returned, lol
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 11:38 AM
@Scarilian - Could be she got another role lined up she likes more? I've also read some rumors that she was "difficult" on set, but could be just gossip. We don't know the reasons and won't know for a while if plot wise it makes sense or not, so implying it must be bc she's white is malicious
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 1/21/2024, 11:41 AM
@Apophis71 - Donna & Amy (include Rory in that too) are still my favorites aswell.

I also liked Martha more than Rose aswell.

Clara was ok but I liked Bill
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 11:43 AM
@Apophis71 - True, what she meant to the Doctor was actually bigger than the character itself. She's had a lasting impact as the first new companion (and romantic interest)
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 11:43 AM
@Polaris - and yeh has always been typical that the Doctor only gets three seasons bar a couple exceptions and during that they normaly have the Doctor paired with at least two different main companions (oft more esp if period of multiple at once and/or single episode/story companions).
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 11:52 AM
@Polaris - I cast doubt on someone who had four years on Eastenders would be the type to be an issue on set in the normal way people interpret that. A difficult actor wouldn't last long on one of the big multi-episode a week soaps like that or Corrie anymore, were supposedly some from the early days on those shows but...

Sort of rumor it is easy to fabricate and hard to disprove which is the bread and butter of so called scoopers if they have nothing fact based and/or detailed to talk about. Never impossible but difficult could be as little has having trouble keeping a straight face if the cast get on TOO well and cracking each other up all the time :D
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 12:01 PM
@Apophis71 - Agreed. I had to mention it as another potential explanation, but seems like typical madeup "news". They probably had plot reasons for this, or schedule conflicts or whatever.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 1/21/2024, 12:08 PM
@Polaris - Just from her one episode thus far instantly felt like setting up the first season arc for her, as in the mystery of her parents stuff, and companions for those normaly are only full time for one but oft contracted longer for any potential reappearances after that (or going into a spinoff like Martha did with Torchwood prior to story/special specific appearances on the main series).
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 1:20 PM
@Apophis71 - "oft contracted longer for any potential reappearances" good point! kinda like superhero contracs
Scarilian
Scarilian - 1/21/2024, 5:16 PM
@Polaris -
I was never implying that or commenting on it. I'm just saying it's really weird to have actors sign on to play The Doctor and his companion and to have them so utterly sick of it that they wanted to quit after a single season.

There's also the marketing perspective where when playing a kid-friendly character you generally are meant to embody that character and try and imply the role is great while you are in the role.
Polaris
Polaris - 1/21/2024, 8:06 PM
@Scarilian - I didn't mean to accuse you, but they were people implying that and jumping to conclusions in bad faith when we don't know anything for sure. We don't know if she quit, we don't know if this was planned but they kept it from the audience bc it is a spoiler, or even if she will come back later for a third season. It's all speculation. I don't think talking about wanting to do other things means you're "utterly sick" of what you're currently doing, actors like variety. And maybe they are sick of it, I can't say for sure, but from what we know this seems business as usual for Doctor Who. Not everything has to be behind the scenes drama.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 1/22/2024, 11:36 AM
@Polaris -
It's fine. According to the Mirror the decision was made after she finished filming Season 1, so yeah, might not be behind-the-scenes drama but it kinda feels like trouble in paradise:

• Mille's out after a season and a half
• Ncuti's speaking like he's gonna leave after Season 2

Comparatively RTD was speaking about how they were both going to be around for ages, maybe this was to try and build up some mystique but surely he'd know that filming Season 2 would result in that leaking.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 1/21/2024, 10:56 AM
Scarilian
Scarilian - 1/21/2024, 10:58 AM
Imagine hiring an actress for a three season contract and then she just quits halfway through Season 2 filming.
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