Anita Dobson addresses huge Doctor Who twist as she takes on iconic role

Daily Mirror

24-05-2025

Doctor Who's upcoming finale is set to confirm fan suspicion as Anita Dobson has lifted the lid on Mrs Flood's true identity and embodies an iconic villain in the Whoniverse.
Doctor Who fans have been suspicious of Mrs Flood from the get-go - and rightly so! A new twist has now been confirmed with a huge secret set to unravel in the show's double-bill finale.
Anita Dobson is getting good at keeping secrets. After pulling off a surprise comeback in EastEnders for the soap's 40th anniversary, the 76-year-old actress faced another major challenge: keeping her Doctor Who character's true identity under wraps.
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'It was hard,' she says. 'You start to say a sentence and think, 'No, I can't go down that road.' It was so exciting, though.' In the current season, Anita plays kind and unassuming Mrs Flood. But underneath that warm exterior lies the Rani, a ruthless, renegade Time Lady.
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'She's a classic enemy of the Doctor,' says series creator Russell T Davies. 'Whenever you introduce any woman into any role on Doctor Who , half the internet conjects that she's the Rani. Sometimes, you just have to go with it.'
For long-time fans, the Rani's return is a major moment. Originally introduced in 1985 and played by the late Kate O'Mara, the character was a sharp-witted and glamorous neurochemist who preferred science over ethics. 'She's more interesting than simply being all evil because she was a scientist that was always more amoral than immoral,' Russell adds.
Kate, who died from ovarian cancer in 2014, left a big impression on the Doctor Who fandom, Russell included. 'She was a wonderful woman, I wish I'd known her. We dedicated the readthrough to her,' he says.
Now, four decades after the Rani first graced our screens, Anita is bringing her back – in a big way. But she's not alone. In a groundbreaking moment for the Whoniverse, Anita shares the role with Bend It Like Beckham star Archie Panjabi, who appears as a future incarnation of the Rani in a jaw-dropping bi-generation scene.
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'It was so much fun. I saw the one with Ncuti [Gatwa] and David [Tennant], when Ncuti took over as the Doctor,' Anita says. 'When I got told it was going to happen to me and Archie, I was blown away. It was more difficult than you'd think, but it was great fun.'
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But the transition took some getting used to. 'When Archie came on board, I didn't understand it all,' says Anita. 'Until I learned we'd be doing the split. Then I got it. We are one, except she plays the bossy one, I sit and make notes. It was an exciting alliance.'
And the chemistry between the two was instant. 'Archie was a dream to work with,' Anita says. 'We clicked on the first day. That's what you hope for. ' Russell recalls, 'We don't have any behind-the-scenes footage of them separately, because they never left each other's sides.'
Anita had her suspicions, but wasn't told she was the Rani until the last minute. 'Throughout the series, my make-up artist and I used to discuss it,' says Anita. 'But I wasn't sure. Once I found out, I had to be even more careful not to give anything away.'
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In the two-part season finale – Wish World and The Reality War – both versions of the Rani are unleashed on a universe that has changed in their absence.
With Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor believing he's the last Time Lord, the Rani's power takes seismic proportions. 'She's on her greatest experiment yet,' Russell says.
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'She's rarely worked at this level before. What you get now is the two Ranis working together. It's a fantastically servile relationship where she sort of becomes the Igor to the Rani's Frankenstein. The Doctor is up against two enemies instead of one.'
The episode promises twists – and a coalition of evil that includes Jonah Hauer-King 's Conrad, last seen imprisoned. 'He's now part of this big coalition against the Doctor,' teases Russell. Familiar faces including Millie Gibson, Jemma Redgrave, Ruth Madeley and Alexander Devrient also return.
For Anita, the experience has been nothing short of exhilarating. 'When I went in to do some audio dubbing, I watched the episode,' she says. 'I gasped out loud. They even filmed my reaction. I'm proud to be a part of it.'
With secrets revealed, alliances forged and evil ascending, Doctor Who is heading towards a finale packed with heart-pounding drama.
The Doctor steps into a battle unlike any other – but what will become of Ruby? What is the Rani's endgame? And who will survive the chaos she unleashes? All that's left is to board the TARDIS and hold on tight.