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Doctor Who recurring role for EastEnders legend

Stuart Maisner
BBC News, South East@smaisner
BBC Close up of Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood in 2025 series of Doctor WhoBBC
Anita Dobson appears as Mrs Flood throughout the new season of Doctor Who

One of the most famous faces from EastEnders is playing a major recurring role throughout the new series of Doctor Who which returns on Saturday.

Anita Dobson, who starred as pub landlady Angie Watts in the early days of the BBC soap, has played the mysterious character Mrs Flood in Ncuti Gatwa's first two seasons as The Doctor.

The Surrey-based actress, who returned to EastEnders as a ghost for the show's 40th anniversary in February, said of her Doctor Who experience: "I've absolutely loved it. It's been fantastic.

"It was very exciting to come back and know that there's going to be some kind of climax, and it was good fun."

Dobson added: "I was absolutely blown away the first time I actually went on set and saw the TARDIS.

"I was amazed. It is stunning, I tell you, the sets are magnificent."

The 2025 season of Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Varada Sethu as new companion Belinda.

Mrs Flood first appeared in Doctor Who on Christmas Day in 2023.

The actress said: "She generally is the kind of character that pops in and out, bit like a little animal.

"She is just sort of there, maybe briefly but maybe not, and you don't know when she's going to appear or why":[]}