Doctor Who star Millie Gibson is to be replaced by Varada Sethu after one season

Doctor Who is heading for a significant shakeup as Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctor’s newest companion, Ruby Sunday, prepares to exit the series after one season. The BBC introduced Gibson as Ruby Sunday in the latest Doctor Who Special “Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Street,” alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Replacing Gibson in Season 15 of the long-running series is Varara Sethu (Jurassic Park: Dominion, Andor, Hard Sun).

Gibson will return as Ruby Sunday for season 14 of the series, which is set to drop in May on the BBC in the U.K. and Disney+ internationally. Season 15 is currently shooting in Wales, where Gatwa and Sethu will likely learn how much running is involved in the Doctor Who filming process. No reason has been given as to why Gibson is exiting the show.

Russell T Davies returns to the series for seasons 14 and 15 to showrun, write, and executive produce the new episodes, with co-production handled by Bad Wolf. According to The Daily Mirror, Davies decided to write Gibson’s Ruby Sunday out of the show last year after filming on her first run ended. Davies says the shocking conclusion to her story will surprise fans.

Sethu is already filming her turn as the Doctor’s next companion for Season 15. Sethu is known to many as Cinta from the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. The Indiana-born British actress also plays Lance Corporal Manisha Chetri in the Sky Original series Strike Back, focusing on Section 20, a secretive unit of British military intelligence. In Sky’s Stirke Back, a special operations personnel conducts several high-risk missions across the globe.

While it’s common for Doctor Who to introduce new companions to the series, one season could seem like insufficient time to spend with Ruby Sunday. In her debut episode, Gibson’s Ruby Sunday is a delightful, spirited character, sharing plenty of chemistry with Gatwa’s suave and adventuresome Doctor. Fans will undoubtedly speculate what led to her exiting the show but will assuredly welcome Varada Sethu to the fold.

When Doctor Who season 14 gets underway, Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), singer Bonnie Langford (EastEnders, Doctor Who), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter, Frozen, Hamilton), and Indira Varma (Obsession, Silent Hours, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) join Gatwa and Gibson for eight episodes of timey-wimey adventures.

What do you think about Millie Gibson exiting Doctor Who after only one season? Let us know in the comments section below.