Sarah Lancashire: 'I'm Mary Poppins from hell'

Sarah Lancashire: 'I'm Mary Poppins from hell' (Image credit: PA Wire/PA Photos)

Sarah Lancashire has described her character, Miss Foster, in the latest series of Doctor Who as 'a slightly warped Mary Poppins'. The former Coronation Street star plays the villainess in Doctor Who 4, which premieres on BBC 1 on Saturday night. Sarah told the Daily Star her character is a 'Mary Poppins from Hell'. Viewers will see her lead an invasion of Earth by a secret army of aliens, called the Adipose. She said: "Miss Foster is, essentially, a nanny, a guardian to some rather unusual children. I see her as a slightly warped Mary Poppins. She's a strong woman. "The first time I read the script I thought: 'Oh well, she's a baddy.' But the more I read it, I thought: 'No, she's doing what she's doing for legitimate reasons'." The Adipose will be joined by classic Doctor Who frighteners the Daleks and the Ood - who first appeared in The Impossible Planet episode in 2006 - to keep the Doctor busy throughout the series. Felicity Kendal and Peter Capaldi are among the stars making appearances during this series. Peter, 40, will play a ancient Roman called Caecilius, and Felicity puts on her stockings for an Agatha Christie-themed episode.