'Doctor Who' Casts 'Sarah Jane Adventures' Actress as Queen Skithra for Series 12

The hype for the return of Doctor Who is getting bigger and bigger by the day as the marketing for the twelfth series has now officially begun. Jodie Whittaker will be returning as the Thirteenth Doctor for her second series and will be re-joined by current companions Bradley Walsh (Graham), Tosin Cole (Ryan) and Mandip Gill (Yaz).

This week saw the BBC announce a range of special guests for Series 12, including Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry. 23rd November – also known as "Doctor Who Day" – saw the first trailer for Series 12 drop and it seems Doctor Who is returning with a bang.

The Doctor and her team in tuxedos, the Cybermen, Paris and new monsters, there was so much to take in. During the trailer (linked below), fans spotted a green creature, which proved to be a big discussion point. Who is it? What is it? It has been discovered today that this creature will be played by Anjli Mohindra, who fans know to be Rani Chandra from The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Mohindra played Rani Chandra - companion to Sarah Jane Smith – from 2008 until 2011 when the show came to an end following the passing of Elisabeth Sladen. The character of Rani Chandra first appeared in the story “Day of the Clown”, which coincidentally starred Bradley Walsh. Since that story, Rani battled many monsters and creatures with Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde, and now it seems she’s becoming a creature herself.

According to Mohindra’s online CV, she has been cast as Queen Skithra. Speaking to sources who cannot be identified, Queen Skithra is the green creature in the trailer. For now, we’re assuming this creature is brand new to Doctor Who. We know Chris Chibnall [current showrunner] is bringing back some old enemies, but we also know new creatures and villains will be introduced again this series.

Mohindra is known for multiple roles following The Sarah Jane Adventures. This includes: The Missing, Cucumber, Midsomer Murders and most recently Bodyguard, where she played Nadia. With Mohindra not being a stranger to the Doctor Who universe, fans can already expect an epic performance from her next year.

Fans have started to question whether or not this creature is actually brand new to the hit BBC sci-fi show. Analysing the quick clip of this creature, it was first said to be a Sea Devil (also rumoured to appear in Series 12, but unconfirmed) until fans spotted some in particular about Queen Skithra. The head of the creature is similar to the Empress of the Racnoss, who first appeared in Doctor Who, and that species has never been seen again in Doctor Who since “The Runaway Bride” on Christmas Day.

Whilst it remains unconfirmed if the creature Mohindra is playing actually is the Racnoss, fans have also been discussing if it could be a relation to the Racnoss in some way. Once Facebook user suggested her to be the “Queen of the Racnoss”.

With the design being very similar to the Racnoss, surely it can’t just be a coincidence?

Well, thankfully there is not much longer left to wait to find out. Whittaker will return as the Doctor in early 2020 (expected to be New Year’s Day) in an opening episode, which is spy themed, starring Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry. This episode will also see Whittaker have a temporary costume change as her Doctor rocks a tux for the first time in the show.

The series will run for ten episodes, followed by an eleventh later on in 2020. For now, keep an eye out for further Doctor Who news ahead of the Series 12 premiere.