The Witchfinders was one of the better episodes to come from Doctor Who Series 11, a season in which only a few episodes were my cup of tea. Unquestionably though, one of the best things in that story was Alan Cumming as King James.

In an interview with io9, promoting the American version of The Traitors which Cumming presents, he had time to speak a little about his fantastic guest appearance.

On talking about whether King James was a fun character to play, Cumming replied that he was a very well written character and that a lot of the appeal of playing him was because he was appearing in Jodie Whittaker’s first series as the Thirteenth Doctor. However, what didn’t seem to be fun was being up in Wales in the mud and rain at 2AM…

One of the most striking things about Cumming’s performance was his voice. His accent for the character came from fusing two voices together, Malcom Rifkind and Michael Forsyth, both Conservative politicians. Rifkind he describes as a sidekick to Margaret Thatcher, and this wouldn’t be the first time Doctor Who has made fun of or satirised her government. The Happiness Patrol is the most obvious example, with Shelia Hancock’s Helen A based on Thatcher herself. Cumming described channelling Rifkind and Forsyth as his revenge on the Conservative government, mocking their accents and warping them into one ridiculous voice for a historical figure.

The voice of the character seems to be what Cumming enjoyed the most, getting to say some wonderful lines! And while the bad weather in Wales wasn’t his idea of fun, that was what he signed up for. So maybe the castle for The Traitors might be a little more up his street!