Game of Thrones actor Indira Varma, who made her debut in Mira Nair's Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love in 1996, is joining the new series of Doctor Who, the BBC hardy perennial which has been on air since 1963. According to Variety, Indira will be seen as the Duchess, described by the BBC as a "mysterious new role". She was previously a part of the Doctor Who universe as Suzie Costello in Russell T Davies' spin-off series Torchwood.

Indira’s recent roles include the Netflix show Obsession and the Disney+ Star Wars franchise series Obi-Wan Kenobi. She won an Olivier, Britain's highest award for professional theatre, for her role in Present Laughter, Noel Coward's luminous 1943 comedy staged at the Old Vic in 2019.

Doctor Who began in 1963 and follows the adventures of a Time Lord known as The Doctor, an extraterrestrial being with a human appearance. The Doctor travels the universe in a time-travelling spaceship called the Tardis. 

Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor in the series, regenerated last year, revealing David Tennant, who was the 10th Doctor, as the 14th Doctor. The series returns in November, with Tennant as the Doctor and three special episodes to coincide with the show's 60th anniversary. The next Doctor, played by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, will take control of the Tardis after Tennant. 

Jinkx Monsoon, the winner of the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars has also been added to the cast as has Glee star Jonathan Groff.