Rose Ayling-Ellis has filmed a guest role in the second season of Doctor Who.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner will appear in an episode of the beloved BBC show when season two arrives next year, starring alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor.
Details of Rose's character have not yet been unveiled, but showrunner Russell T Davies was full of praise for the former EastEnders actor, hailing her performance as "astonishing".
Related: Doctor Who's Joy To The World Christmas special could shine brighter
"I loved Doctor Who when I was growing up, so being cast in the show was a dream come true," says Rose. "My inner child is ecstatic with excitement!
"Working with Russell and filming alongside the talented cast and crew has been an incredible experience," she adds. "Ncuti is a wonderful Doctor, and I can’t wait for audiences to see what we have created together."
What to Read Next
In a statement, T Davies revealed Rose took things "to a whole new level" on set, adding: "She storms in with an astonishing performance of terror, anger and bravery in one of the most frightening episodes we've ever made."
Related: Doctor Who's David Tennant shows off first tattoo paying sweet tribute to wife
Rose was most recently a guest star on BBC detective comedy Ludwig, starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin. She played Ms. Freya Chordwell, a character that was worlds away from her role of Frankie Lewis in Albert Square.
The Strictly champion has a number of TV projects in the pipeline including a role in a groundbreaking new BBC One series titled Reunited. Sold as a revenge thriller, the series will feature a cast and crew who are majority Deaf or use British Sign Language (BSL).
She's also set to present an all-new documentary titled Signs for Living with Rose Ayling-Ellis, which will teach BSL to a group of older people, shown across two episodes.
As for Doctor Who, the show will be back on screens this month with a new Christmas special. Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan will appear in a guest star role in the upcoming episode.
Doctor Who Christmas Special 'Joy to the World' airs on BBC One at 5:15pm on Christmas Day.
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Interested in talking about Doctor Who? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
Read more Doctor Who news on our dedicated homepage
Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
