Bonnie Langford on the news of her return as Melanie Bush:
“In many respects, it’s a relief,” Bonnie says, reflecting on the announcement, “because I don’t have to lie or be frugal with the truth any more – and I’m very excited about coming back, so I wanted to tell everyone. But I thought, oh God, I wonder what the reaction is going to be. And it’s all been lovely, I think. I don’t know. If people say lovely things, I’ll take it, I’ll take it, I’LL TAKE IT! And if they don’t… y’know, whatever. People will always have opinions, they’re allowed to, that’s fine. Even when we did that [The] Power of the Doctor, I saw some of them…”
Last October, for the first time since 1987 (or since 1993, if – and let’s not fall out over this – you count Children in Need fever dream Dimensions in Time), Mel made a brief return to TV: Bonnie’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-her cameo in Jodie Whittaker’s final episode, The Power of the Doctor. “That was very last-minute,” says Bonnie. “I only did a tiny, weenie, just-one-scene. But it was nice, to be part of that. I saw some of the stuff” – the fan reaction, to the companion support group scene – “and people were saying, ‘I cried! I cried when the companions were all there, sitting around,’ and I thought, my God, if only they knew what’s coming!”