Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, has said that Indira Varma, who guest stars in the next episode of Series 14, is “spectacular” as the mysterious Duchess.

He enthused that she’s a “joy” to watch at work, then explained:

“Indira’s spectacular, actually. I think Jinkx [Monsoon] was the most amazing villain [in second episode of the series, The Devil’s Chord], but I was kind of expecting that; it’s what we hoped for. Indira really leant into it.

“She’s in what we call the Bridgerton episode set in 1813 in Regency Bath [Rogue], and she kind of looks like a lady at the manor. She looks very privileged, posh, haughty, smart and aloof. And then oh my God, she lets rip and runs and fights and is completely wonderful, so that was a joy to see.”

Is it just us or is it a bit weird for Davies to say he expected Jinkx to be good, implying he thought Varma would be otherwise? Especially as Indira is a massive star, and worked with Russell before on Torchwood?

Either way, Varma has been in a number of high-profile projects including Luther, The Capture, Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and, most recently, Macbeth. I watched her recently in the latter, and she was excellent, bringing so much to the already-juicy part of Lady Macbeth opposite Ralph Fiennes’ lead.

Indira played Suzie Costello in Torchwood, and has reprised the role numerous times for Big Finish.

She stars as the Duchess of Pemberton in Rogue, this weekend’s episode of Doctor Who, available from 8th June 2024.