Actor and comedian John Bishop is joining Doctor Who later this year...
John Bishop has spoken out following the announcement that he will be joining the cast of Doctor Who for the next series.
The actor and stand up comedian, who was also previously a footballer, is known for appearing on shows like A League of Their Own with James Corden and presenting Amazon Prime football show Back of the Net with Peter Crouch and Gabby Logan.
The Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, and sidekick Yaz (Mandip Gill) will be welcoming a new face to the TARDIS later this year as John's new alter ego, Dan, joins the team.
After finding himself caught up in the Doctor's adventures, Dan will quickly learn that there is more to the universe that he could ever imagine.
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Travelling through space and time with the Doctor and Yaz, Dan will find himself face to face with evil alien races that are beyond his wildest dreams.
'A dream come true'
In an official statement, John said: "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."
As the news that he would be joining Doctor Who broke, John took to Twitter, calling his new role 'an honour'.
Sharing a sneaky preview clip of him in his new Doctor Who role, John told his followers: "I have loved the last few months on set and I am looking forward to working with the brilliant team in 2021.
"(It is an) honour to join such a legendary show."
Keeping the news under wraps
John started filming with the cast and crew of Doctor Who back in November, with his new role being kept well under wraps until now.
Chris Chibnall, Showrunner said: "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 added: "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."
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 with series 13 later this year.
