Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis said she's undergone a "gross" transformation to play her secret Doctor Who character.
Ayling-Ellis, who's also known for her EastEnders stint, weighed in on her guest role on the BBC sci-fi series after a first-look picture was shared last December.
Appearing on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds this morning, the actor dished on her "exciting" Doctor Who experience.
"Well, they're keeping it so top secret and it's episode three, but you've seen the picture of me – there's one photo – and I got painted-on eyebrows, I look like a mess, I've got greasy hair," she said.
"Like I never felt so gross in my whole life, acting for the whole month!"
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Mills then told her that Rylan Clark, who's also bagged a role on the upcoming Doctor Who season, is as excited as she is about being a part of the series.
"You know Rylan, he is also in an episode and he will not stop talking about it," the host said, to which Ayling-Ellis replied: "I don't blame him."
"A bit like you," continued Mills, "this is an absolute bucket list for him 'cause he's a massive, massive fan."
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Ayling-Ellis previously described starring on Doctor Who as "a dream come true".
"Working with Russell [T Davies] and filming alongside the talented cast and crew has been an incredible experience," she said. "Ncuti [Gatwa] is a wonderful Doctor, and I can't wait for audiences to see what we have created together."
For his part, T Davies, who returned as showrunnner on the series in 2023, teased Ayling-Ellis' "astonishing performance" in a pretty scary episode.
"She storms in with an astonishing performance of terror, anger and bravery in one of the most frightening episodes we've ever made," he said in a statement.
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.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
