Miriam Margolyes has announced that she’s ticked something huge off her bucket list – landing a role in Doctor Who.
The iconic actor – who is famed for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films – is set to voice Beep The Meep in one of the show’s 60th anniversary specials, which are set to air on the BBC in November.
In a statement to the BBC, she enthused: “I’m relieved I got to work on Doctor Who before I died. With sci-fi you never know. Thank you for making an old woman very happy.”
Elaborating further in her upcoming autobiography, Oh Miriam!, the 82-year-old wrote (via Doctor Who fan site Tardis Central): “Of course, I wasn’t in Doctor Who then, BUT I AM NOW! Just wait till you meet the Meep.”
Beep is an alien villain in the original Doctor Who comics, but this is the first time the character is being brought to life on the TV series.
The three anniversary specials will pick up where Jodie Whittaker’s last episode as the Time Lord left off.
In her final outing in the role, Jodie gave fans a shock as she regenerated into David Tennant, who previously played the Tenth Doctor.
David will also be joined by his former right-hand woman, Catherine Tate, in the specials, who will be reprising her role as Donna.
In addition to this, Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney has joined the cast as Rose, Donna’s daughter, while Neil Patrick Harris will be playing a mysterious new arrival.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies previously teased: “Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”
The episodes will be followed by a brand new series, starting over the festive period, which introduces Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa as the next Doctor.
Ncuti will be joined by new companion Ruby Sunday, played by ex-Coronation Street star Millie Gibson.
It’s been quite the week for Miriam, who has been busy promoting her autobiography.
Earlier this week, the star appeared on This Morning, where she wasted no time in causing chaos in the ITV studio – and the fun didn’t end when cameras stopped rolling.