Who's that girl? The Doctor's new sidekick Karen Gillan stars in a glamorous photoshoot ahead of the forthcoming series



She's the flame-haired new sidekick to Doctor Who and what better way to stamp your authority on a new role than with a glamorous photoshoot?

Karen Gillan will assist another newcomer, Matt Smith, on his adventures in the new series of the BBC1 sci-fi series, and she recently took part in a shoot for InStyle magazine.

The 22-year-old actress spoke to the magazine ahead of the start of the latest series and revealed that she was daunted by the new role and she once imitated R'n'B diva Beyonce by dyeing her hair pink.

Companion: New Doctor Who sidekick Karen Gillan poses in one of the photos from her shoot with InStyle magazine

Miss Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, showed fans of the show what they have to look forward in the shoot showing off her long legs in one photo, wearing a Sonia Rykiel yellow top with a pair of stripey shorts by Reiss.

In another shot she lets her red locks loose as she poses in a matching lilac jacket and skirt by Gucci.

The actress, who was born in Inverness, Scotland, admitted that she finds her new role terrifying - following in the footsteps of so many other great actresses.

Glamorous: The actress poses in a matching jacket and skirt by Gucci

She said: 'It's a pretty terrifying role, but a huge privilege to be part of an iconic show. I'm following a long line of great actresses who have played the companion, so it's quite daunting. I'd love to sit down with them and have a good chat about it.'

Recent actresses who have filled the role of Doctor Who's sidekick include Freema Agyeman, Billie Piper, Catherine Tate and even Kylie Minogue.

She also revealed that her mother didn't even know she'd got the part: 'My boyfriend knew, but I didn't tell anyone else, including my mum - she's a huge Doctor Who fan and I didn't want to lumber her with the secret. I only told her an hour before the public found out.'

New series: Matt Smith, who plays the eleventh Doctor Who, and Karen Gillan take time out in between shooting scenes for the BBC1 show in Cardiff

Out now: Karen Gillan's interview is featured in InStyle magazine

And she spoke of her pride at having red hair, despite being bullied for it when she was younger.

She said: 'I got teased for being a redhead when I was younger, which is strange because I'm Scottish and there are loads of us - we should unite forces! I love my red hair.

'When I was 15, I dyed half my hair pink, inspired by the 'Bootylicious' video. My parents went mental! I had it for a good few months - I kept re-dyeing it, because I thought it looked really cool. That's my biggest fashion faux pas to date...'



Earlier this year producers on the show ran into trouble with fans after some viewers misinterpreted the regenerated Doctor's line 'I'm still not ginger'.

In January parents of red-headed children were said to be particularly upset by what they perceived to be an insult.



They claimed the programme, which was the second part of a Christmas special and was seen by 11 million viewers, would encourage victimisation.



The BBC received 143 complaints and one mother said: ‘I think it is totally inappropriate for the Doctor to make fun of people with ginger hair. It is a programme children watch and I think it will encourage bullying'



But the BBC fought back in the row insisting that Dr Who had made the comment as a matter of regret - rather than relief.



The Corporation said: ‘We’ve received complaints from viewers who believed a line in Doctor Who: The End of Time was insulting to people with ginger hair.



'We would like to reassure viewers that Doctor Who doesn’t have an anti-ginger agenda whatsoever.



‘This was a reprise of the line in the Christmas Invasion episode in 2005, when David Tennant discovers that he’s not ginger, and here he is, missing out again — disappointed he’s still not ginger.’

The new series of Doctor Who begins later this year.



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