After she was dramatically killed off at the end of last series, former UNIT science officer Osgood returns from the dead in Saturday’s Doctor Who adventure The Zygon Invasion.
What’s On TV travelled to the Doctor Who set in south Wales to speak to Ingrid Oliver and hopefully find out why Osgood’s come back to life and what’s in store for her this time…
We thought Osgood was dead, so how come she’s back?
“I thought she was dead, too! But, as with everything on Doctor Who, things can change. I can’t go into why she’s back, though, because even the Doctor asks me what I am and I don’t tell him, so I certainly can’t tell you! There are lots of different possibilities, but everything will become clear…”
It was quite a brutal ending for her at the end of the last series, wasn’t it?
“Yes the manner of her death was a shock. Someone sent me a YouTube clip after the episode had aired of a young boy shouting at the screen as Osgood got pulverised! He was obviously shocked – and I was shocked by his reaction!”
Is she still the same character?
“Yes, she’s the same person and genuinely recognisable as Osgood. She’s quite an endearing character – I think people really relate to her.”
Osgood is kidnapped by a rogue group of shapeshifting Zygons in this adventure. What was it like working alongside these classic Doctor Who aliens?
“It’s very odd, but that’s the world of Doctor Who! You’re always doing something different, whether it’s running from a blown up building or looking for monsters. But with the Zygons, they’re so real that it’s genuinely terrifying! I couldn’t do what the actors who play them do, though… being in those suits must be absolutely horrendous, like being buried alive!”
Is Osgood still obsessed by the Doctor?
“Yes, she’s a huge fan! She’s in awe of him, so it would be like me meeting the biggest celebrity you could possibly imagine. He’s the One Direction of that world I suppose! But it’s easy for me to act because Peter Capaldi is so incredible that I do tend to stare at him and think, ‘God, you’re amazing.’”
What’s the future for Osgood then?
“I don’t know, anything’s possible. It’s such a nice thing to have been brought back. It’s one of those jobs that you dreamed of when you were a kid, so I’d always come back.”
Doctor Who: The Zygon Invasion screens on BBC1, Saturday, October 31 at 8pm
