In addition to the usual fun and festivities associated with this time of year, Christmas Day in 2023 is a particularly big one for Doctor Who fans.
After those three stand-alone anniversary specials featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, this year’s festive special sees Ncuti Gatwa taking the lead at the helm of the Tardis for the first time.
But he’s not doing it alone.
The new Christmas episode The Church On Ruby Road also introduces us to the Time Lord’s new companion Ruby Sunday (as well as an absolute fuck-ton of goblins, but we can get into that another time).
Ruby is played by Doctor Who newbie Millie Gibson, who regular TV viewers (and, in particular, soap fans!) may well already recognise.
If you thought Millie looked a little familiar, here’s where you may well have seen her before..
Jamie Johnson
In 2017, Millie made her small-screen debut in the CBBC series Jamie Johnson, which centres around the titular teenager’s personal struggles and ambitions of becoming a professional footballer.
Millie joined the show in its second season as Jamie’s schoolmate Indira Cave, sticking around until the end of the third run.
Butterfly
The three-part series Butterfly told the story of Maxine, an 11-year-old who is coming to terms with her transgender identity.
Co-starring Anna Friel, Emmett J Scanlan and Alison Steadman, as well as Callum Booth-Ford in his break-out role, Millie played Lily, Maxine’s older sister.
Coronation Street
The chances are, if Millie does look familiar, it’s because you saw her in Coronation Street.
Millie was part of the long-running soap for three years, playing troubled teenager Kelly Neelan, who became the foster child for Toyah Battersby and Imran Habeeb.
During her three years on the cobbles, Kelly was part of some pivotal storylines, most notably her involvement in the death of Seb Franklin.
She also briefly dated Dev Alahan’s son Aadi, before leaving Weatherfield in 2022.
Millie’s time in Corrie may have been relatively short, but she certainly made her mark on the show, scooping Best Young Performer at last year’s British Soap Awards and making the longlist in the Serial Drama Performance category at the NTAs.
Millie Gibson’s other work
In 2017, Millie also appeared in an episode of the short-lived Kay Mellor drama Love, Lies And Records, which co-starred Ashley Jensen, Rebecca Front and Mandip Gill.
She’s also acted on stage in Prom! The Musical and Eyam, both of which were held at Manchester’s prestigious (but, sadly, now-defunct) Oldham Coliseum Theatre.
Millie also lent her voice to the Radio 4 dramas Me Myself I and Stone, but we’re guessing you won’t recognise her from those because… well… they’re literally radio plays.
Doctor Who’s latest Christmas special airs on Monday 25 December at 5.55pm.