Prepare for a fright on Sunday 12th January, when Doctor Who is set to unleash one of its scariest episodes yet.


Episode three of Jodie Whittaker’s second series is ‘Orphan 55’ by Ed Hime, who scripted 2018’s ‘It Takes You Away‘ – and according to the cast and showrunner Chris Chibnall, it features a monster that ranks among the show’s most frightening.

“Ed Hime has written episode three, which is called ‘Orphan 55’ and there are some monsters in that that are terrifying!” Chiball revealed. “They were there on-set, they’re practical monsters.”

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“I was actually really scared when I saw one of them – I bricked it, I proper bricked it!” admitted Whittaker. :In rehearsal, he’s like six foot seven, in a suit and he’s running at you down a corridor and I was screaming.”

Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh, who play companions Ryan and Graham, revealed that they too were “actually scared” shooting scenes for this chilling instalment.

“There’s a monster that shall not be named… you’re going to see my reaction, it breaks through the wall and you’re going to see me jump and that jump is the most honest jump,” Cole said. “I was actually scared – I knew it was going to happen but when it happened I didn’t know it was going to happen like that. I was genuinely scared. I think I had to change my pants that day!”

“There is a moment in episode three that is absolutely… now, I don’t scare easy and it made me proper, proper jump,” agreed Walsh. “It really did.”

Will ‘Orphan 55’ go down in Doctor Who history alongside the likes of ‘Blink’ and ‘Midnight’ as one of the scariest episodes ever? Not long till we find out…


“I think all the kids need to get that little space behind the sofa ready, for their parents, so the parents are ready to hide there,” said Chibnall. “It’s the beautiful thing about Doctor Who, it’s that scary bedtime story for the whole country.”