Bonnie Langford returns to Doctor Who as Mel Bush

Screen OD staff

Bonnie Langford will reprise her role as Mel Bush in Doctor Who, it has been announced by the BBC.

A legend of stage and screen, Langford, 58, first appeared in Doctor Who in 1986 opposite Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor and continued in the role of Mel with Sylvester’s Seventh Doctor. She returned briefly for a cameo as part of the multi-Doctor and multi-companion BBC 100th birthday bonanza, The Power of the Doctor in October 2022 – Jodie Whittaker’s last episode as the lead.

Langford will appear in series 14 of Doctor Who starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson as his companion.

Star of stage and screen Bonnie Langford will once again reprise her legendary role as Melanie Bush as she returns to Doctor Who, this time starring alongside Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the Fifteenth Doctor in the new series.

Bonnie Langford said of her casting: “I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing Melanie Bush back. To be part of the exceptional cast, crew and production team led by the force of nature that is Russell T Davies is a career highlight. I’m so privileged and proud to have been a member of the Doctor Who family since the classic era and to be included in the new generation is phenomenal.”

Showrunner, Russell T Davies added: “Open those TARDIS doors wide, because Bonnie’s back! What an honour, delight and hoot to welcome back the character of Melanie, after too long away. And this isn’t just a cameo, Bonnie is right in the thick of the action, battling monsters and chaos and cliffhangers, right at the Doctor’s side, just like the old days.”

Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three special episodes to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the show. They will star David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and be the first to be screened as part of a new deal between the BBC and Disney to make Disney+ the global streaming partner of Doctor Who.

Season 14 is expected to begin with a Christmas special and continue in 2024.