Fright night
- Publication: TV Times
- Date: 2025-04-26
- Author:
- Page: 13
- Language: English
ROSE AYLING-ELLIS and CHRISTOPHER CHUNG on guest-starring in a spine-chilling adventure
A terrifying threat awaits as the TARDIS touches down on a brutal planet in the far future in this week's Doctor Who adventure, titled The Well, on BBC1.
The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) find that the devastated mining colony appears to have just one survivor, but as they attempt to discover what happened ahead of their arrival, they face a horror unlike anything they've witnessed before...
The episode features guest appearances from former EastEnders actor and 2021 Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis, soon to be seen in ITV1 crime thriller Code of Silence, and Slow Horses star Christopher Chung.
Here, Rose, 30, and Christopher, 36, reveal what it was like to enter the Whoniverse...
How would you describe your characters, Aliss and Cassio?
ROSE Aliss is a determined mother, desperate to find her daughter. She's emotional, scared, holding it together, but barely. She's raw and real.
CHRISTOPHER Cassio is a trooper who follows the rules and does things by the book, but when the Doctor challenges that, he finds it difficult. He was a very interesting character to play!
What was it like to land a part in Doctor Who?
ROSE Andy Pryor, the casting director, has been a big supporter of mine for years. He really believed in me, and championed me for the role of Aliss. I owe this one to him. I've always wanted to be part of the show, and to land a complex, layered character like Aliss made it even more exciting.
CHRISTOPHER It's surreal - it's absolutely mind-blowing to be in something that's so iconic as Doctor Who. I've wanted to be a part of it for a long time, so to fulfil that dream has been everything I wanted and more.
Was it hard to keep it a secret from your friends and family?
ROSE Not really - I told my parents right away, and I trust them completely. But I held off telling friends, because I wanted to surprise them!
Did you enjoy being on set in Cardiff?
CHRISTOPHER It was fantastic! We filmed in Bad Wolf Studios for the majority of the episode, and the sets are absolutely awesome. The amount of detail that has gone into them, there's no reason why you wouldn't think that you're in that space.
ROSE Yes, it was amazing. I'm used to fast-paced shoots, so spending nearly a month on one episode was a new experience. I loved how much care went into every element.
What was it like working with Ncuti and Varada?
ROSE They were lovely - kind, supportive, and so much fun, but when it's time to work, they're completely focused. I'd love to work with them again.
CHRISTOPHER They were fantastic leaders on the production, and made such a huge effort to make everyone feel really comfortable and that we were here to make something really special. It was an absolute joy to work with them.
Did you watch Doctor Who when you were growing up?
CHRISTOPHER [Laughs] I was too scared to watch it as a kid! As I got older and realised how much of a cultural institution it was, I started to watch more of it. I'd say that one of my favourite monsters are the Weeping Angels [first seen in the 2007 episode Blink].
If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you go?
ROSE Into space to look back at the Earth, the stars and the moon. That's a once-in-a-lifetime view that very few people get to see.
CHRISTOPHER I would go to Ancient Egypt, because of the fashion.
Finally, this episode is a scary one - will you be watching from behind the sofa?
ROSE Not at all, I love scary shows! I'll be right in front of the telly. I haven't seen the final cut yet, so I'm just as excited as everyone else!
DOCTOR WHO is previewed on pages 36-37
Caption: By the book: Trooper Cassio
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- APA 6th ed.: (2025-04-26). Fright night. TV Times p. 13.
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- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Fright night | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Fright_night | work=TV Times | pages=13 | date=2025-04-26 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 July 2026 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Fright night | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Fright_night | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=12 July 2026}}</ref>
