DOCTOR WHO doing press ups in the Tardis! It could happen, for joining Colin Baker in The Trial of a Lord is Bonnie Langford, who plays the Doctor's energetic 26th companion Melanie.
Physical fitness is an important part of Bonnie's role, and in this week's Doctor Who (Saturday 5.45 BBC1) Melanie will put the Doctor on a diet and make him do keep-fit exercises because she thinks he's out of shape.
Melanie, or Mel as the Doctor calls her, is a computer programmer who comes from the village of Pease Pottage (yes, it's a real name) in West Sussex.
She's already part of the Tardis crew at the start of this week's episode. 'It's set in the Doctor's future,' say Bonnie. 'You never learn how I got to travel with him.
'Melanie is a bit headstrong and nosey, so although she recognises the Doctor is the leader, she helps out by running off investigating things for herself. She ends up in awful trouble and the Doctor has to save her.' Bonnie says Doctor Who is -- happy series to
Bonnie shot to fame at the age of six after an appearance on Opportunity Knocks.
She is currently on tour in Britain with the musical Peter Pan, which for a month over Christmas will be at Eastbourne.
I'll be just along the road from Colin Baker who'll be doing pantomime at Brighton [written and directed by Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner]. No doubt we'll bump into one another.'
For the future she says she'd like 'to break away from the kind of work people expect me to do' ... starting this week with Doctor Who.
Come in number 26! Colin Baker with his new companion Bonnie Langford
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