TV legends Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry have been announced as the first guest stars in the new series of Doctor Who, with the pair both set to appear in the opening adventure of the BBC sci-fi series in “one of [Doctor Who]’s biggest ever stories.”


According to the BBC, “both are more than equipped to come face to face with the Time Lord and her friends,” but their character details – and whether they’ll be friends or foes to the Doctor – “remains to be seen.”

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“Short of being picked for a British space exploration programme – and I readily concede that I’m past the age where I’d be considered (if I was ever the right age for such a posting) – then being in an episode of Doctor Who will certainly do as a very sweet second-place excitement,” Fry said of his casting in a release.

“It was absolutely brilliant to be welcomed into the fantastical world of Doctor Who,” agreed Henry, who has previously worked with Jodie Whittaker and series boss Chris Chibnall on ITV drama Broadchurch.

“The nearest I have been to the TARDIS was when I played the Caribbean Doctor in the Lenny Henry Show, so as a life-long (hiding behind the sofa type) Doctor Who fan this is a very special moment for me.”

“Doctor Who is coming back with a bang – with two great British icons in major roles,” added head writer Chibnall. “One of the great joys of Doctor Who is getting to work with actors from your wish list.

“Stephen and Lenny are two of my absolute favourite actors – and to be able to bring them into Doctor Who, in our one of our biggest ever stories to kick off the new series, is an absolute thrill.”

Fry, who had been spotted on set by fans a few months ago, has been rumoured for some time to play some sort of spymaster in the series while Henry – whose casting was not previously speculated upon – remains more of an enigma ahead of the new episodes’ release.

Still, fans probably won’t have to wait too long to find out more about the pair’s characters, with Doctor Who series 12’s first trailer expected to drop on Saturday 23rd November. Given this announcement, we’d be pretty surprised if we didn’t at least catch of glimpse of them in action…


Doctor Who returns to BBC One in early 2020