Bradley Walsh almost turned down Doctor Who role over bosses not revealing Time Lord’s identity
BEHIND-the-scenes business at Doctor Who is top secret but the latest cast was kept so hush-hush companion Bradley Walsh almost refused to join.
He had to wait with everyone else to learn the new Time Lord would be Jodie Whittaker — and executive producer Chris Chibnall had to get him to take a leap of faith in joining.
Speaking ahead of the start of the series on October 7, Bradley said: “I was with Chris having lunch last year and he said: ‘Brad, I want you to do a job.’
"I said: ‘Sure, what?’ He said: ‘I can’t tell. It’s very, very secret. But you are the man for the job. It’s in Cardiff and will be a nine-month shoot.’
“I had another meeting and he said: ‘It is Doctor Who — not for the Doctor, though. We are going to change it around.’ I said: ‘Who is going to be the Doctor?’ He said: ‘We can’t tell.’
"So I said: ‘I can’t accept.’ He said: ‘But we want you. It will be an unbelievable journey. It will be ground-breaking. We are going to go for it. The BBC have trusted us.’ So I’m in. A leap of faith.”
Meanwhile, Jodie is not assigning a gender to her role. She told Marie Claire: “Someone asked me, ‘Are you playing Doctor Who as a girl or boy?’ I said, ‘I’m just playing it.’”
And she and producer Matt Strevens hinted they may get back ex-companion Billie Piper. Jodie said on US radio: “She’s an amazing actress.”
Matt added: “We’re in talks.”
Stranger things happen.
Unready star ate by hamster
IT’S not quite up there with Rod Hull’s Emu attacking Michael Parkinson on the chat king’s show in 1976 – or then local news presenter Richard Whiteley being savaged by a ferret on TV the next year.
But Jeremy Vine got on the wrong end of a HAMSTER yesterday as he reached into its box on his new Channel 5 chat show – and got a nip.
Don’t worry, Jezza, you’ll get worse from your celeb guests.
bizbit
A PETITION to get the BBC to rethink axing The Great Pottery Throw Down has passed 29,000 signatures on change.org.
It was cut after two series – even though it overtook Top Gear as BBC2’s most popular show, in July.
Sir Alan posts notice
AFTER his Twitter gaffe during the World Cup, it would be easy to see why Alan Sugar might quit social media.
But Lord Sugar – who made a “joke” comparing Senegal footballers to beach traders – has no such plan. He said: “I do it all myself. There’s no gaffes.”
The star of The Apprentice, promoting former show winner Alana Spencer’s cake firm Ridiculously Rich by Alana, said: “I’m enjoying trying all the cakes, but it’s not good for my waistline.”
Meanwhile, Alana has no desire to become a reality star, like many Apprentice graduates. She said: “I’m just determined to make a success of my business. I spend all my time baking.”
Lord Sugar owes the girl a holiday.
Bardo's blaze horror
REAL Housewives Of Cheshire’s Tanya Bardsley and her family were left homeless and with scant possessions after fire gutted their £2million mansion.
But things could have been a whole lot worse – Bardo’s teenage daughter Gabriella almost got caught up in it. Tanya, who also has three young sons with her husband, Burnley defender Phil, told how her home went up in flames after a TV caught fire.
Speaking ahead of the new series, which starts on Monday on ITVBe, she said: “It was a mirrored TV in the bathroom. The sun went through the skylight and it exploded.
“One of Phil’s footballer mates was about to sell his house and it’s fully-furnished so we went there with a couple of bin bags. We’ve got nothing. The fireman was saying, ‘You can go up if you like, we’ve secured it and just get anything sentimental’.
“My daughter was in the house. She was about to go downstairs into the cellar where we’ve got a gym. She was about to put her earphones in and go down there. It was something like half an hour difference. Luckily the neighbours were screaming and knocking on the door. So that’s why I’m blasé about the stuff.”
bizbit
KEELEY HAWES might be a luvvie actress, but it sounds as if she’s a cheap date.
When asked what her favourite foods are, the star of BBC1’s hit drama The Bodyguard admitted: “Anything from KFC. God help me!”
soapbox
IN Eastenders, Keanu tells Sharon about his shock discovery at the canal where they met for a secret tryst.
It could be a pivotal clue in the search for a shooter but she urges him not to tell cops until she gets to the bottom of the situation herself.
Meanwhile, Mel is panicked after Ray arrives to see Hunter and explains that she’s worried about how her son will feel with him around.
MOST READ IN BIZARRE
In Emmerdale, Belle fights for survival after Lachlan orders her to leave with him.
Matty spills his heart to Moira and Jessie is reunited with her son Ellis, who causes quite a stir.
While, in Hollyoaks, Scott is barraged with online abuse after Buster informed the media of his full name.
must watch
WHAT? Spying On My Family, Channel 4, 9pm.WHY? A one-off insight into family life as a concerned dad from Essex uses the latest technology to keep an eye on the behaviour of his four children.