Doctor Who: Who is new companion actress Varada Sethu - what's in store for Belinda Chandra?
Doctor Who is back this weekend with a new companion to join the Doctor on his travels.
A brand new series of hit BBC sci-fi series kicks off on Saturday evening. Ncuti Gatwa returns as the 15th Doctor, and he has a new partner-in-crime by his side.
Varada Sethu joins the cast after Millie Gibson’s departure from her full-time role as Ruby Sunday. Here’s everything you need to know about the new star ahead of her debut in the TARDIS.
Who is Varada Sethu?
Varada Sethu is a British-Indian actress and former Miss Newcastle. The star was born in Kerala but moved to Tyne and Wear at a young age.
The 32-year-old actress began her career in acting in 2010. She picked up bit parts in TV shows such as Doctors and films including Sket (2011).
Sethu bagan to rise her profile with appearances in BBC drama Doctor Foster in 2017, before picking up a role as a series regular on Strike Back: Revolution and Strike Back: Vendetta.
Her biggest role to date came in the 2022 Disney+ Star Wars spin-off prequel series Adnor. She starred as Cinta Kaz in the show.
Prior to her casting as Belinda Chandra, Sethu appeared in Gatwa’s first series of Doctor Who in 2024. She appeared as Mundy Flynn in the episode Boom.
What is in store for Belinda Chandra?
Despite her previous appearance as Munday Flynn, Sethu is set to take on a new role in the Doctor Who Universe. We’ve not been told everything about nurse Belinda Chandra so far, but what we do know is that she will make her debut in the first episode of series two of the rebooted series.
The Robot Revolution will introduce Belinda as she crosses path with The Doctor after a group of robots kidnap her, mistaking her for their queen. And trying to get Belinda back to earth will lead the pair on adventures throughout the series.
Showrunner Russell T Davies told the BBC: "They are flung into outer space, and for all sorts of mysterious reasons that will be revealed as the series goes on, he can't get her home. He's got a time machine that can travel anywhere. But the one place he can't land is that day in May in 2025 when Belinda left the Earth, and that's going to be the ongoing struggle of the entire series – get Belinda home."
As well as trying to get Belinda home, former companion Ruby Sunday won’t be a stranger for The Doctor, with Millie Gibson set to reprise her role in a smaller capacity in the new series.
Doctor Who series two premieres at 6.50pm on Saturday, April 12 on BBC One. The episode will be added to BBC iPlayer from 8am, with the series airing internationally on Disney+.