Who is mysterious Doctor Who character Mrs Flood? Even showrunner Russell T Davies wasn’t sure at first: “I was in two minds”

Ever since the megastar Anita Dobson appeared as the enigmatic Mrs. Flood in ‘The Church on Ruby Avenue’, enthusiasts have been eager to ascertain the true identity of Ruby Sunday’s inquisitive neighbor. Especially since, throughout her multiple appearances, Mrs. Flood disclosed that she was aware Sutekh would return, recognized the Physician, and even cautioned that his tale would “end in utter horror”.

There is evidently a massive enigma to unravel here, with fans donning their tinfoil hats, speculating that Mrs. Flood could be anyone from the Physician’s former Time Lord companion Romana to the God of Tales. Fortunately, showrunner Russell T Davies recently disclosed to our sister publication SFX that “spectacular revelations” are on the horizon with the forthcoming Doctor Who season 2, where Mrs. Flood will appear in each episode.

This news was music to the ears of star Ncuti Gatwa, who reprises his role as the Fifteenth Physician and has been “eager to discover” Mrs. Flood’s true nature since her first appearance. In a recent discussion with GamesRadar+, Gatwa revealed that he was kept in the dark until production commenced on the upcoming season: “We found out on the day of receiving the script, I won’t disclose what script number, but it was incredibly thrilling. I couldn’t have anticipated it!”

It appears that Dobson is quite adept at maintaining secrets, as is showrunner Davies. However, when speaking about the character, Davies does share that Mrs. Flood’s identity wasn’t always firmly established. He explains that the character evolved with Dobson’s involvement: “I was always torn. You kind of gauge how things are progressing. From the moment we cast Anita, though, I knew we would do a lot with her. She initially joined to do just one episode, but she was delightful and entirely on board. You naturally develop it as you collaborate with the actor.”

Furthermore, Davies reveals that the truth behind Mrs. Flood was solidified by the time they filmed last season’s finale ‘Empire of Death‘, which concluded with her foreboding warning about the fate that awaits the Physician.

As he notes: “Once we reached the end of season 1, where she openly declares her intentions on a rooftop, stating that she will bring the Doctor absolute horror, you really secure her position. She does appear this year in every episode, and each time, it brings great joy. Last time, she was only in three or four episodes, so she’s a much more consistent presence this go-around, building up to, I assure you, genuine, remarkable discoveries.”

The new season of Doctor Who is set to launch on A