Billie Piper: From Doctor Who sidekick to Time Lord

By Ted Hennessey, PA

Billie Piper – who returned to Doctor Who when the 15th Doctor Ncuti Gatwa regenerated – shot to fame in 1998 at the age of 15 with the release of her debut pop single Because We Want To.

The chart topper was followed by another number one single, Girlfriend, and her platinum selling debut album Honey To The B.

But she then moved into acting, later saying it was what she wanted to do most, and her breakthrough role came as the companion to Doctor Who in 2005.

Piper, from Swindon, played Rose Tyler, the sidekick to the ninth and tenth Doctors, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

Rose was a feisty shop assistant who developed a strong bond with the Time Lord and kissed him at one stage.

Piper won the award for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards in 2005 and 2006 for the role.

She later starred in the ITV series Secret Diary Of A Call Girl from 2007 to 2011, playing an escort in London.

She made her directorial debut in 2019 with Rare Beasts, a dark comedy drama she also wrote and starred in.

Last year, she portrayed Newsnight producer Sam McAlister in Netflix’s Scoop, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of Emily Maitlis’s momentous interview with the Duke of York.

Piper’s performance earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards.