BBC, Doctor Who Companions
On Sunday, the BBC dropped the unexpected news of three new companions joining Jodie Whittaker in the TARDIS, starting in series eleven. We all know who Bradley Walsh is, but what about the other two newcomers?
First, we welcome Mandip Gill, playing Yasmin. Though we don’t know about her character, we do know that she is one of the three companions.
The twenty-nine-year-old actress has played multiple notable roles on television, but she started at the University of Central Lancashire. She graduated in 2009 with an Honors Bachelors in Acting.
According to the university’s website, she’s received high praise from the school.
"“It was clear from Mandip’s assessment, during her ‘Acting for the Camera’ module that Mandip was very natural in front of the camera. For us, that natural quality, along with her technical ability and positive outlook meant that it was only a matter of time before we would see her on our TV screens."
After graduating from the college, she starred in several theatre productions. Her big break came when she landed a role on British soap opera Hollyoaks, playing Phoebe Jackson. Mandip made her first appearance on the show in 2012 until her character died in 2014 in a fatal train crash.
Gill has also starred in television shows such as the sitcom Cuckoo, and Doctors for a five episode arc. She’s had a busy year in 2017, appearing in The Good Karma Hospital, Casualty, and more.
When BBC announced that she was going to be one of the three new companions, Mandip’s excitement shined through her quote about being part of the show.
"“This is an iconic show with an amazing fanbase and I look forward to everything that brings. Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didn’t believe it to be true for the first few weeks.”"
Honestly, the best thing about having a new person coming onto a show is one who’s been a fan for so long!