Former Coronation Street star signs up for the next series of Doctor Who – four years after saying farewell to Weatherfield
A former Coronation Street star is set to join the cast in the next series of Doctor Who.
Charlie Condou, 51, who played Marcus Dent on the ITV soap, is set to star in the upcoming season as a character called Gary, according to The Sun.
In episodes set to air next year, Charlie, who also appeared in medical drama Holby City, will make his debut.
The soap star will follow in the footsteps of his former co-stars Bruno Langley, Sarah Lancashire and Millie Gibson – who plays the current Time Lord’s sidekick Ruby Sunday.
In February, 2020, Charlie revealed that he left the ITV show in 2014 to spend more time with his family residing in North London.
A former Coronation Street star is set to join the cast in the next series of Doctor Who. Charlie Condou, 51, who played Marcus Dent on the ITV soap, is set to star as a character called Gary
In episodes set to air next year, Charlie, who also appeared in medical drama Holby City, will make his debut
Charlie played Marcus on the Manchester-based soap from 2007–08 and 2011–2014.
His character had several dramatic storylines, including on-screen romances with Sean Tully (Antony Cotton), Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley).
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly at the time, he said: ‘: ‘My time on Corrie was fantastic but being in Manchester was really difficult, my family and my kids are down here and I wasn’t getting to see them, that’s why I left.’
Charlie is raising his two children, Georgia, 14, and Hal, 11, with his husband Cameron Laux – who he married in 2015.
The cast announcement comes just weeks after Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies has said ‘no decision’ has been made yet for the line-up of series three.
Appearing at Comic Con in San Diego alongside Ncuti Gatwa, 31, and Millie Gibson, the screenwriter spoke about what was in store for the science fiction show.
Russell, 62, admitted decisions about who would star in series three haven’t been made yet as they are still in the middle of filming the second season.
The screenwriter said: ‘We’ve shot season two, but that’s only halfway through. We’ve got all those months of post to come. It’s a long way off, so no decisions yet.’
In February, 2020, Charlie revealed that he left the ITV show in 2014 to spend more time with his family residing in North London
Charlie played Marcus on the Manchester-based soap from 2007–08 and 2011–2014
It comes after Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies has said ‘no decision’ has been made yet for the line-up of series three
Appearing at Comic Con in San Diego alongside Ncuti Gatwa, 31, and Millie Gibson, the screenwriter spoke about what was in store for the science fiction show
Ncuti said playing the Doctor is ‘surreal’ and when the host joked he had signed up for the next 10 seasons, he replied: ‘Of course!’.
‘I am still growing into the Doctor but season two was lovely. It felt like the suit was fully fitted. I was finding my feet in season one and having the time of my life but season two felt like a chance to flex the muscles properly,’ he said, according to The Mirror.
Asides from filming the second series, Ncuti will star in a West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest later this year.
Meanwhile, Millie, 20, who plays Ruby Sunday, will reportedly only make a fleeting appearance in the next series – despite joining Ncuti and Russell at Comic Con.
She will be replaced by Varada Sethu, 32, who has been pictured filming with Ncuti.
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies previously confirmed that Millie’s character had simply been put on hold for now but she would return to the show before long.
He explained: ‘This is a pause. I genuinely felt Ruby’s story paused there. She couldn’t get all that information about her family, all that emotional overload, and run off in the TARDIS. It pauses there. She’s coming back.’
In the meantime Millie has been pursing other ventures as she stars in the new reimagining of The Forsyte Saga.
It comes after the show’s future was questioned, despite filming for the fifteenth series already starting, after the fourteenth failed to attract viewers and resulted in ‘underwhelming’ ratings.
An ambitious deal with Disney – rumoured to be worth $100million – meant each episode is aired on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Fridays to appease US viewers before being broadcast on its traditional Saturday teatime slot on terrestrial television.
Appearing at Comic Con in San Diego alongside producer Russell T Davies and Millie Gibson on Thursday, the actor, 31, kept coy about whether he will continue in the role
Meanwhile, Millie, 20, who plays Ruby Sunday, will reportedly only make a fleeting appearance in the next series. She will be replaced by Varada Sethu, 32
Instead, the final episode attracted only 2.02million viewers – a sharp drop from Jodie Whittaker’s final outing as the first female Doctor, which was watched by 3.7million in real time.
A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Overnight ratings no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch drama in an on demand world, this season of Doctor Who premiered on iPlayer nearly 24 hours before broadcast, and episode one has already been viewed by over 6 million viewers and continues to grow.’
‘Doctor Who remains one of the most watched programmes on iPlayer and is the BBC’s top drama for under 35’s this year making it one of the biggest programmes for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters’.
