The Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz are set to welcome a new face to the TARDIS later this year as actor and comedian John Bishop joins the cast as ‘Dan’.

As he becomes embroiled in the Doctor’s adventures, Dan will quickly learn there’s more to the Universe(s) than he could ever believe. Travelling through Space and Time alongside the Doctor and Yaz, he’ll face evil alien races beyond his wildest nightmares.

Speaking about joining the show, John, who recently revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19, says: “If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it. It’s an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn’t wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.”

Chris Chibnall, Showrunner, adds: “It’s time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan. Oh, we’ve had to keep this one secret for a long, long time. Our conversations started with John even before the pandemic hit. The character of Dan was built for him, and it’s a joy to have him aboard the TARDIS.”

Matt Strevens, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, says: “It’s been a total joy having John join the cast and we’ve been having a lot fun on set already. We can’t wait for you to meet Dan when the show returns later this year.”

Piers Wenger, Controller, BBC Drama, says: “We are beyond thrilled to have John Bishop joining Doctor Who. Alongside Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill, John is a wonderful addition to the show and we have no doubt that series 13 is going to be another thrilling set of adventures for the Doctor.”

The 13th series of Doctor Who began filming in November 2020.

John has already begun filming – in fact he had recently been spotted on location so the news of him joining the cast was not a huge out-of-the-blue surprise – and will make his first appearance when the 13th series starts on BBC One later in 2021.

John Bishop Image Credit: BBC/James Pardon

John Bishop is on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, April 9.