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Played by Freddie Fox, Iona Anderson and Miriam-Teake Lee
"Hellia was the most harmless planet in the sky – then the Corporation bought the entire planet, including its population, for one reason only: to harvest the Hell Poppy"
| First Regular Appearance |
| The Interstellar Song Contest |
Natives of the planet Hellia, once known for its beautiful fields of Hell Poppies, Hellions are now viewed as evil and unemployable across the galaxy. The destruction of Hellia and its infamous Hell Poppies are attributed to the Hellions themselves, worsening their reputation. The species is also said to practice cannibalism and witchcraft, supposedly containing psychic powers within their distinctive horns.
In truth, the Hellions have been misrepresented to justify the razing of their planet by the Corporation – with the Hell Poppies being harvested as flavouring for honey. While some Hellions, such as Cora Saint Bavier, hide their identity in order to survive, others, like Kid and Wynn, plot a devastating act of vengeance...
Character Bio
A Hellion known as Wynn Aura-Kin is hired as part of the Interstellar Song Contest’s production team – but it’s soon revealed that she is, in fact, working with ‘Kid’, a revolutionary who hijacks the transmission of the competition. Broadcasting the dress rehearsal to the galaxy, Kid and Wynn remove the air shield for the Harmony Arena, leading thousands of its occupants – including the Doctor and the TARDIS – to be flushed into space. Kid then plans to release a Delta Wave through the broadcast to kill the trillions watching. Blaming the Corporation, the Contest’s sponsor, for his planet’s suffering, Kid decides his revenge must include all viewers who he believes are complicit.
Contest favourite Cora Saint Bavier seems to have no connection to the Hellions as she is representing the planet Trion (home of previous companion Turlough), but she is spared from the initial attack by Wynn. Cora soon reveals to Belinda she has knowledge of Kid’s origins, explaining that his mother was murdered in front of him. In truth, she is herself a Hellion – the sister of Wynn. With her horns removed by force, Cora hides her heritage to avoid further discrimination and to participate in the contest, which Hellions are forbidden to perform in.
The Doctor manages to prevent Kid from enacting his plan by violently electrocuting him until Belinda intervenes. As Kid calls out Cora for having done nothing but hide, she then makes a choice: rather than her original act, she ends the Contest with the song of her home planet Hellia, stating explicitly that it was destroyed by the Corporation.
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Actor information
Three Hellions are featured in The Interstellar Song Contest: revolutionary leader Kid, played by Freddie Fox (who previously appeared in Russell T Davies’ Cucumber), Wynn, played by Iona Anderson, and Cora, played by Miriam-Teake Lee.