Aneurin Barnard joins cast of Doctor Who to play mysterious character

Aneurin Barnard, pictured at the premiere for Dunkirk, is joining the cast of Doctor Who to play a new character who is described as “mysterious” by the BBC. (PA)

Aneurin Barnard is joining the cast of Doctor Who to play a new character who is described as “mysterious” by the BBC.

The Welsh actor, 35, will be in the next series of the popular BBC sci-fi show which sees David Tenant return as the Doctor before Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa takes over in the role.

Barnard, who starred in the recent Netflix mystery series 1899 and was in the WW2 film Dunkirk, will take on the role of Roger ap Gwilliam.

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He wrote on Twitter: “Pleased to announce i have joined the @bbcdoctorwho family for a little while.”

Jemma Redgrave, who has starred in the period dramas’ Love & Friendship and Howards End, will be returning to the show as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, who ran the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (Unit) in previous seasons.

The long-running organisation, set on defending the Earth, will also make a come back in the next series of Doctor Who, BBC said.

Previously announced, Millie Gibson will feature as sidekick Ruby Sunday, opposite Gatwa, who takes over as the 15th Doctor, as Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney also joins the cast as Rose.

Jemma Redgrave who starred in Love and Friendship returns to Doctor Who (Ian West/PA)

In October, Jodie Whittaker had her last battle as the 13th Doctor in a special episode of Doctor Who to mark the BBC’s centenary.

The actress, 40, became the first woman to portray the Doctor when she took over the role from Peter Capaldi in 2017.

During the feature-length programme, viewers were left surprised as Whittaker’s Time Lord regenerated into Tennant, who previously played the 10th incarnation of the doctor.

Ncuti Gatwa takes over as Dr Who this year (Jane Barlow/PA)

The BBC said Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three special episodes to coincide with the 60th anniversary – with Tennant as the 14th Doctor and his companion Catherine Tate coming back as Donna Noble.

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Jacqueline King and Karl Collins will reprise their roles as Tate’s on-screen mother Sylvia Noble and her on-screen husband Shaun Temple, while Years And Years star Ruth Madeley joins the cast as Shirley Anne Bingham.

Gatwa will then take control of the Tardis, with his first episode airing over the festive period in 2023.