Michelle Ryan: I'm not the Doctor's next sidekick

Michelle Ryan: I'm not the Doctor's next sidekick
Michelle Ryan: I'm not the Doctor's next sidekick (Image credit: PA Archive/PA Photos)

Michelle Ryan has apparently said she won't be joining Doctor Who full-time. The former Bionic Woman plays the Time Lord's sidekick in the Easter special of the sci-fi series, Planet Of The Dead. But she insisted she would not be the Doctor's next companion, reports The Sun. She told the paper: "Please don't put your bets on me being the next assistant. You would be wasting your time." "Doctor Who is amazing but I think people presume, 'Why wouldn't I want to do it as a regular thing?' I'm a commitment-phobe," the 24-year-old continued. Michelle - who found fame as Zoe in EastEnders - said she saw her character Lady Christina as 'someone who is around for this one-time adventure'. Meanwhile, current Doctor David Tennant has confessed he found it hard getting back into character for the first of the four upcoming specials after spending so much time off doing Shakespeare last year. He said: "At the read-through for Planet Of The Dead, I found it quite tricky to get into the mindset. I actually felt that I couldn't quite remember the Doctor's voice." However, David said once he was in costume and back on set it was 'like coming home'. The actor - who will soon be leaving the TARDIS to new Doc Matt Smith - also told Doctor Who magazine his break reminded him how much he would miss the show. Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead is on Easter Saturday, April 11, at 6.45pm on BBC1. Get exclusive access to your favourite stars. Subscribe to TV Times magazine

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.