One of the most iconic stars of the 1980s on British TV has teased whether her character could end up returning to Doctor Who once again in future.
In 1986, Bonnie Langford made her first appearance as companion Mel Bush in the long-running BBC sci-fi series, appearing in an episode titled The Trial of a Time Lord: Terror of the Vervoids.
Starring opposite Colin Baker as the Doctor, the actress went on to share the screen with several iterations of the Time Lord, including Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant and most recently the Fifteenth Doctor, depicted by Ncuti Gatwa.
Ahead of her most recent appearance in Empire of Death last month, Metro.co.uk spoke to Bonnie about what it’s been like to have played Mel over the course of almost 40 years.
We also had to ask whether Mel will be back once again, having recently been utilising her skills as a computer programmer by working with the military organisation UNIT.
The 59-year-old reflected on her most recent reprisal of the character, stressing how ‘action-packed’ she was when she joined Ncuti, 31, in his most recent adventure as the beloved Gallifreyan.
‘Mel has known him a long, long time in all sorts of different guises. I found it quite strange as well at first when I was thinking, okay, so I was with the Sixth and Seventh Doctor. Then I was with the Fourteenth and then I’m now with the Fifteenth.
‘I’ve also met Jodie [Whittaker], and I met Jon Pertwee. How many jobs do you do where you have that many different people playing essentially the same character, but their version of that character?
They look so different. They are so different. They’re from different generations. Yet it still seems so truthful and so fresh.’
So could yet another return for Mel possibly be on the cards in the future?
While at first Bonnie said that she ‘can’t really say’, she then gave a cryptic – and hopeful – promise.
‘There’s ends, there’s beginnings. Who knows?’ she said mysteriously.
‘As I said, the thing about the show, as in real life you think there’s a happy ever after, you think there’s an ending but it never quite stops there. So, whatever comes next we’ll have to wait and see.’
When asked what her favourite ever Doctor Who memory was, Bonnie brought up one of her most recent scenes, when she was present at the moment that David’s Doctor bi-generated to reveal Ncuti as his successor.
‘Being involved with that is a wonderful memory because it was such a happy moment,’ she recalled.
‘There was a great feeling of joy and love and to be involved with that firsthand was really, really exciting. So I think at the moment that’s sort of my favourite, but if I hadn’t had those episodes before, I wouldn’t have anything to compare it with.
‘Obviously I’m pleased to have been in the old series because I wouldn’t be in the new one otherwise. But the bi-generation was very exciting, to just be there when something that everyone was thrilled about. [happened]. I felt invited to the party, you know?’
Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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