Doctor Who Christmas special credits scene explained: Who is Mrs Flood?

Played by Anita Dobson, the character is a newcomer to the show but there’s certainly more than meets the eye as we saw in the unexpected mid-credits scene.

She starred alongside Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, who we met in The Giggle, and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday, our new companion, as well as a spectacular ensemble cast including Michelle Greenidge and Angela Wynter.

So, as we await Gatwa’s first season, here’s everything we know so far about Mrs Flood.

Doctor Who mid-credits scene explained: Who is Mrs Flood?

Mrs Flood is Ruby’s next door neighbour, who we first meet as she’s sitting out on her porch. She’s clearly keen to keep up with the goings-on in the community as she sets up a camping chair outside her front door.

We see her have a couple of disagreements with another neighbour, Abdul (Hemi Yeroham), especially when the TARDIS comes to town, as she is disgruntled it’s blocking the path.

Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood in Doctor Who’s The Church on Ruby Road BBC Studios

However, at the end of the episode, it becomes clear that it’s not the first time Mrs Flood has encountered a TARDIS.

As the TARDIS vworps away with the Doctor and Ruby inside, Abdul looks shocked. Mrs Flood tells him: “Stop making such a fuss!” She then turns to the camera and gives us a wink, asking: “Never seen a TARDIS before?”

So, who could Mrs Flood actually be – and why does she know what the TARDIS is?

One theory is that she’s an associate of the Master’s. In the third anniversary special, The Giggle, we saw a woman with red nail polish pick up the Toymaker’s gold tooth – the one that the Master was trapped in.

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It stands to reason that the TARDIS that Mrs Flood has seen might not be the Doctor’s – especially as he didn’t recognise her. Could she have seen the Master’s TARDIS before?

The Doctor and the Master aren’t the only beings who have had TARDISes though, and, after the Toymaker’s return in The Giggle, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that another classic character could return – perhaps the Monk, the meddling time traveller who first appeared in 1965.

After all, the Monk had a TARDIS of their own too – could Mrs Flood potentially be something to do with them?

Who is Mrs Flood actress Anita Dobson?

Anita Dobson BBC Studios, Jeff Spicer

Anita Dobson is best known for her iconic role as Angie Watts in EastEnders from 1985 to 1988.

She’s no stranger to an epic Christmas special, starring in EastEnders’ most-watched episode ever, when Dirty Den (Leslie Grantham) handed Angie her divorce papers with a malicious “Happy Christmas, Ange.”

Dobson has also had an accomplished career on stage, including starring in the West End’s production of Chicago as Mama Morton in 2003 and Gertrude in Hamlet. In 2012, she starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

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The actress is married to Queen guitarist Sir Brian May.

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