Anita Dobson has revealed that her husband Brian May warned her about the frenzy her cryptic Doctor Who scene would cause after her character Mrs Flood insisted she had seen the Doctor’s Tardis before. The 75-year-old was introduced to viewers as Ruby Sunday’s (played by Millie Gibson) nosy next-door neighbour Mrs Flood during the 2023 Christmas special and she will return in the new series later this month.
During the instalment, Mrs Flood is seen becoming annoyed by the doctor’s Tardis causing a disruption on her street. As it sets off with the doctor and Ruby inside, Abdul (Hemi Yeroham) looks on in shock and Mrs Flood tells him: “Stop making such a fuss!”
The mysterious character then goes on to imply that it wasn’t the first time she had seen the Doctor’s mode of transportation, saying with a wink: “Never seen a Tardis before?” The subtle comment sparked a frenzy amongst fans who suggested she may be connected to former characters.
Names thrown into the mix of theories included Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and River Song (Alex Kingston), born Melody Pond. Addressing the moment, the former EastEnders actress said Brian had warned her about the frenzy it would cause.
She told Metro.co.uk: “Well, I wasn’t expecting it, although my husband did say to me after he saw, ‘You wait, this is gonna go viral’. And I said, ‘Don’t be daft’. And of course, it did! So I am totally thrilled.”
Last week, Brian proved to be every inch the supportive husband by sharing a post dedicated to Anita’s role.
Alongside a picture of them both, the Queen star shared: “Tonight, supporting my amazing Lady Wife, I was lucky enough to see a private preview of the new series of Dr Who – in which Anita’s portrayal of the enigmatic Mrs Flood is turning heads.
“I’m very proud of her – and proud of the fact that everybody loves working with her. So here, in the picture, we’re grabbing a moment at the end of a busy day to enjoy a drink and a bit of supper.
“Then a pretty long drive home, because we’re not Londoners any more – we’re country folk, and most of our neighbours are wild animals.”
After the Christmas episode was aired, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies shared that viewers will find out more about Mrs Flood when the new series unfolds.
Speaking on Doctor Who: Unleashed, he shared: “Mrs Flood is a mysterious character. You will eventually find out more about her.”
He went on to say the character is a “slow burn” adding: “Mrs Flood. Who is Mrs Flood? Come back and find out!”
Anita also teased: “Today what you see is a friendly neighbour. What the future may be, no one knows. Russell is writing it as we speak.”
Teasing what else viewers can expect in the upcoming series 14, Russell hinted that the mystery surrounding Ruby’s origin will be addressed.
He added: “This was quite a fable, about a foundling on the church doorstep in the snow. So that story then continues into the series.
“We come back to that church. There’s all sorts of things. There were people in those scenes you don’t know were there. We have a lot more to come.”
Doctor Who returns to BBC One in the UK on May 11 and Disney+ elsewhere.
