To many fans' joy, 20-year-old actress Millie Gibson made her return as Ruby Sunday, in ‘Lucky Day’, the fourth episode of BBC’s fifteenth season of Doctor Who and the second series to air with Disney+. Gibson debuted in the series with an emotional storyline of maternal abandonment back in 2023, portraying a new Doctor companion with sensitivity and play. This year, Gibson slips back to the ‘Whoniverse’ with ease, showing viewers who Ruby Sunday is, not as a companion, but as a person.
Ruby Sunday is back! You’ve returned for Doctor Who season two. What did it feel like to step back into Ruby’s shoes?
I feel so protective of Ruby and connected to her; we’ve both experienced this journey together in very different ways, so when the ‘Lucky Day’ script came along and I got to play her again, it was such a gift. However, we’re seeing Ruby in a more mature and damaged light which I think is such an important area to explore amongst Doctor Who companions; what is life like after the Doctor? So I was very blessed and flattered to tell that story with Ruby.
We’ve seen the emotional aftermath of Ruby’s adventures with the Doctor in your returning episode, ‘Lucky Day’. Viewers got to see a different version of Ruby’s life, this time on Earth, where she gets involved with Conrad, played by Jonah Hauer-King, a Doctor-enthusiast who showed his true, wicked intentions at the end. What was it like playing opposite Jonah?
Jonah is truly an actor's gift. He is so giving, and as viewers will be pleased to know, nothing like his character, and that’s what makes him so diverse and brilliant. It was so vital for his character to trick both Ruby and the audience to his innocent, clumsy act and to fall in love with him and their relationship, and that’s what makes the twist so heartbreaking. It’s just a huge testament to what an incredible actor he is; he had us all fooled. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Conrad.
What do you think audiences are expecting from Ruby when she returns for the two-part season finale?
We leave Ruby opening up to Kate that she needs some time to be left alone and to take a minute to reflect on the good and the bad of her experiences. Fans are either hoping for her ‘happy ending’ for once, or for her to probably get revenge on Conrad Clark, as we see his journey too is not finished.
If Ruby could meet a past companion of any Doctor, who would it be and what would they do for the day?
This answer may come as no surprise to the fans, but it has to be Amy Pond. She was my companion as a little girl and I think it would be like travelling with my hero, probably for Ruby too. Pond gives that big sister energy that anyone would adore!
Interview by Madeleine Ringer
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Doctor Who airs exclusively on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Disney+ outside of the UK (where available).
Photography: Bartek Szmigulski
Styling: Adele Cany
Make up: Wendy Turner
Hair: Lachlan Wignall