Doctor Who: BAFTA winner Lenny Rush joins the cast for series 14 – and will board the TARDIS during the Time Lord’s ‘greatest nightmare’
BAFTA Award winner Lenny Rush has been announced as the latest addition to the Doctor Who cast for the upcoming 14th series.
The 14-year-old actor boards the TARDIS alongside Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the titular Time Lord.
Lenny has starred in numerous shows, including Dodger and A Christmas Carol, but it was his role in Daisy May Cooper’s Am I Being Unreasonable that earned him this year’s BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme.
After his casting, Lenny said: ‘It’s an absolute honor to be part of Doctor Who, one of the most iconic shows on television and wow what a dream come true!’
Showrunner, Russell T Davies said: ‘This is what Doctor Who is all about, brand new talent from the next generation, and no one is more talented than Lenny! He joins the TARDIS team just in time for the Doctor’s worst nightmare, so hold on!’
New face: BAFTA Award winner Lenny Rush has been announced as the latest addition to the Doctor Who cast for the upcoming 14th series.
Lenny is just the latest addition to the huge cast starring in series 14, which already includes Jonathan Groff, Anita Dobson, Jack Forsyth-Noble, Michelle Greenidge and Indira Varma.
It comes after it was announced that Bonnie Langford will return to Doctor Who as her character Mel Bush, 37 years after she first starred on the show.
Bonnie made her Who debut in 1986 as Melanie alongside the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, becoming the companion of the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.
It also comes after the West End star briefly reprized her role in the BBC’s Centenery Special The Power Of The Doctor last year.
Ncuti will debut as the new Doctor in a Christmas special later this year, after David Tennant reprises the role for a trio of specials to mark the show’s 60th anniversary in November.
Of her return, Bonnie said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing Melanie Bush back.
“Being part of the exceptional cast, crew and production team led by the force of nature that is Russell T Davies has been a career highlight.
“I am so privileged and proud to have been a member of the Doctor Who family since the classic era and to be part of the new generation is phenomenal.”
Available soon! The actor boards the TARDIS alongside Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the titular Time Lord
Acclaimed: It comes a week after Lenny won a BAFTA for Male Performance In A Comedy Program for his role in Daisy May Cooper’s Am I Being Unreasonable
Showrunner, Russell T Davies said, ‘Open those TARDIS doors wide, ’cause Bonnie’s back! What an honor, delight and hoot to welcome back Melanie’s character after too long an absence.
“And this isn’t just a cameo, Bonnie is right in the middle of the action, battling monsters and mayhem and cliffhangers, right on the doctor’s side, just like old times.”
In addition to Ncuti’s Doctor in the TARDIS, his companion will be Ruby Sunday, played by Coronation Street star Millie Gibson.
The new series marks a brand new era for the show under returning showrunner Russell T Davies, following the departure of Chris Chibnall and the last Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, last year.