EastEnders legend reveals warning from rock icon husband about Doctor Who role-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

A legendary former EastEnders star has revealed the warning her rockstar husband gave her about their new role in Doctor Who.

Very soon, the brand new series of the BBC sci-fi extravaganza is set to launch, with Ncuti Gatwa returning to the Tardis as the Fifteenth Doctor with his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).

The upcoming new episodes – which are being helmed by returning showrunner Russell T Davies – will also mark the return of acting icon Anita Dobson, who was introduced as the mysterious Mrs Flood during the 2023 Christmas special.

At the London premiere for season 14 (which is also being referred to as season one), Metro.co.uk had the chance to speak to Anita, 75, who revealed how her husband, Sir Brian May, 76, reacted to her Doctor Who character.

The actress, who played Angie Watts on EastEnders in the 1980s, explained how taken aback she was by how much attention Mrs Flood received, with fans in the Whoniverse going wild with in-depth theories after they found out she had ‘seen a Tardis before’.

Viewers immediately started to spot possible connections with former characters who had water-based names, including Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and River Song (Alex Kingston), who was actually born Melody Pond.

Mrs Flood’s big Tardis reveal sent Doctor Who fans into a spiral (Picture: James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios 2023)

Anita starred on the BBC soap in the 1980s (Picture: BBC)

The biggest theory was that Mrs Flood could be the older version of River, with one fan writing on social media: ‘We know River regenerated multiple times, what if she degenerated too and Mrs Flood is just River Song got old?’

The surge of excitement around Mrs Flood might have been a shock for Anita, but it certainly wasn’t for Queen rocker Sir Brian.

When asked by Metro.co.uk how she felt about the fanfare, she responded: ‘Well, I wasn’t expecting it, although my husband did say to me after he saw, “You wait, this is gonna go viral.”’

She continued: ‘And I said, “Don’t be daft.” And of course it did! So I am totally thrilled.”’

Sir Brian was there to support Anita at the recent Doctor Who premiere (Picture: BBC Studios/Jonathan Birch)

More will be revealed about Mrs Flood as Ruby and the Doctor set off on their new adventures (Picture: Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Bad Wol)

Could Mrs Flood really be an older version of River Song? (Picture: Jon Hall/BBC)

Last week, Sir Brian shared a post in honour of Anita to celebrate her ongoing role in Doctor Who.

Sharing a picture of them both dressed to the nines, the musician wrote in his caption: ‘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.’

Anita and Sir Brian first met in 1986, before tying the knot in 2000. The actress inspired the 1989 Queen hit I Want It All.

The new season of Doctor Who is set to premiere on May 11 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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