12 April 2024 – Like many Doctors who have come before him, one is not enough for the Fifteenth Doctor and in season two, he will have two companions by his side as Varada Sethu steps aboard the TARDIS.

Varada joins the Whoniverse from a galaxy far, far away after starring in the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. Now she straps in for another journey through time and space alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday.

Sethu says: "I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I'm so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family - because that is what they are - for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn't ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!"

Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies says: “I first worked with Varada on a BBC production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it's a joy to welcome her on board the TARDIS. Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we've got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side - we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!”

Sethu is best known for her standout role as Cinta Kaz in the Disney+ Original series Andor. Her additional credits include Jurassic World Dominion, Annika and Strike Back.

Currently in production, the second season of Doctor Who is set to debut in 2025 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the U.S. and around the world (where available).

Photos from a table read featuring Sethu, Gatwa (the Fifteenth Doctor), and Gibson (Ruby Sunday) were released today.

Season one of Doctor Who will premiere simultaneously for the first time on BBC iPlayer and Disney+. In the UK, the first two new episodes of the season will premiere at 00:00 on May 11 on BBC iPlayer, and then on BBC One later that day. Episodes will drop on BBC iPlayer followed by a primetime slot on BBC One each week following that. Outside the UK, Doctor Who begins streaming 10 May at 7pm ET on Disney+, where available, giving audiences a simultaneous global launch.

Doctor Who is produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television.

Russell T Davies is showrunner, executive producer and writer. Additional executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.