American drag queen Jinkx Monsoon is set to be Doctor Who’s “most powerful enemy yet”.
The 35-year-old was confirmed to be joining the legendary BBC series earlier this month and is due back on our screens in November. The performer will be staring alongside Sex Education’s Nctui Gatwa in his first outing as The Doctor, and Coronation Street’s Millie Gibson in the latest season of the Sci-Fi series.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race star said they were “honoured and thrilled” to be joining the show in a “major role”.
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In first-look images of the actor, Jinkx Monsoon can be seen wearing an orange wig and a piano-esque cloak - a look reminiscent of Hocus Pocus’ Bette Midler character Winifred Sanderson.
Jinkx said: “(Showrunner) Russell T Davies is a visionary and a brilliant writer - I can’t wait to get into the weeds with him and the crew. I hope there’s room in the TARDIS for my luggage.”
Russell T Davies added: “In a galaxy of comets and supernovas, here comes the biggest star of all. Jinkx Monsoon is on a collision course with the TARDIS, and Doctor Who will never be the same again.”
Doctor Who will premiere exclusively on the BBC for the UK with David Tennant reprising his role as the Fourteenth Doctor for three episodes to coincide with the show's 60th anniversary. Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will then air over the festive period.
Jinkx is joining the much-loved series after enjoying a sell-out run of the musical Chicago, in which they played the role of Matron ‘Mama’ Morton.
Their debut on Broadway was a historic moment for the LGBTQIA+ community, as they became the first drag queen to play the role of Mama Morton, breaking box office records in an extended eight-week run.
Jinkx is the alter ego of Jerick Hoffer and is no stranger to TV having risen to fame after appearing on and winning the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Throughout the series, the performer, who is originally from Portland, Oregon, opened up about their battle with narcolepsy - a rare long-term brain condition that can prevent a person from choosing when to wake or sleep.
Jinkx returned to the franchise to compete in an all-star season and won once again, making them the first person to win two seasons of the show across its iterations. Jinkx’s stand-out moments from the first-all-winners edition of the franchise included their impersonations of Natasha Lyonne and Judy Garland.
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