Doctor Who news: Graham and Ryan will leave in New Year’s Day special

The Thirteenth Doctor will be saying goodbye to two of her companions in the Doctor Who New Year’s Day special, Revolution of the Daleks.

It’s been confirmed that Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole will be leaving Doctor Who. Revolution of the Daleks – the upcoming New Year’s Day special – will be their final episode as Graham O’Brien and Ryan Sinclair.

This will be the first companion departure in Chris Chibnall’s era as showrunner. The characters of Ryan and Graham have been around since Jodie Whittaker’s first episode as the Thirteenth Doctor. While a team of four might have been difficult for the writers to handle at times, it’ll still be strange to see that team reduced to just the Doctor and Yaz.

However, in some ways, this is to be expected. While a few companions in the revival have lasted for two series, not many have lasted longer than that. In fact, both Martha and Donna only had one full series each (with special appearances and cameos made in other episodes). So two series seems like a good time to say goodbye to someone.

The team will face some major enemies in Revolution Of The Daleks.

Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBCA

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Daleks

However, considering that Graham’s and Ryan’s final episode also features Daleks, they’re sure to exit with a bang. After all, they’re arguably the biggest monsters in Doctor Who, as Tosin Cole comments.

"Working with the Daleks is sort of like working with Doctor Who royalty. You have to respect them because they are so iconic."

But will their arrival be the reason why Graham and Ryan leave? More importantly: will these two companions survive their final story? An actual companion being killed off is incredibly rare for the show. But at the same time, we also need to consider that Chris Chibnall was responsible for killing off two major Torchwood characters in the spin-off’s second series. As a result, anything could happen. Whatever happens, Chris Chibnall has promised that it’ll be “emotional“.

Revolution of the Daleks will be broadcast on New Year’s Day 2021.

Do you think it’s the right time for these companions to leave? Do you consider them to be an important part of this era? Who’s your favorite companion of the Thirteenth Doctor? Let us know in the comments below.