Doctor Who Season 14: Who is Mrs Flood?
BBCUnassuming old lady Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) is responsible for one of the Doctor Who Christmas special’s biggest surprises. So, who is she and what does her introduction mean for the Fifteenth Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) future adventures?
Mrs Flood is just one of several mysteries the 2023 special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” left Doctor Who fans to mull over. Ruby Sunday‘s (Millie Gibson) nosy neighbor has left Doctor Who Season 14 viewers thinking there might be more to her, and with that have come some pretty convincing theories.
So, who could this quirky character be? A secret Doctor Who villain in disguise? Someone directly related to Ruby Sunday? With Russell T Davies behind all of this, anything could be possible.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mrs Flood, including who she is, and what fans think she could signify.
Doctor Who Season 14: Who is Mrs Flood?
Mrs Flood is Ruby Sunday’s elderly neighbor and lives at 4 Minto Road, Notting Hill.
She’s portrayed as an ordinary old lady for most of the Doctor Who Christmas special‘s runtime, however, its mid-credits scene hints that there’s more to this old lady than meets the eye.
Here, Mrs Flood — initially depicted as oblivious to Time Lord culture — turns to the camera and smirks, before quipping, “Never seen a TARDIS before?” It’s currently unclear how Mrs Flood knows about the Doctor’s time-traveling spacecraft, and how and when she acquired this info.
It’s equally unknown whether Mrs Flood’s big, fourth-wall-breaking moment in the Doctor Who Christmas special is simply a gag and not part of Davies’ grand vision for the show’s future. That said, recent remarks by both Davies and Dobson suggest the latter scenario is closer to the truth.
“Mrs Flood is a mysterious character,” Davies said in an episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed (via Radio Times). “You will eventually find out more about her. She’s a slow burn, Mrs Flood. Who is Mrs Flood? Come back and find out!”
“Today what you see is a friendly neighbor,” added Dobson. “What the future may be, no one knows. Russell is writing it as we speak.”
Doctor Who Season 14: Mrs Flood theories explained
The strongest theories argue that Ruby’s neighbor Mrs Flood is really another Doctor Who character in disguise.
Popular candidates include classic villains the Master and the Rani, as well as former companion River Song.
“What brings a flood? The Rain,” wrote one X user. “What’s an anagram of Rain? Rani.” “Melody Pond. River Song. Mrs Flood. Calling it now,” added another, referencing Song’s birth name. “Has anyone else spotted how TARDIS-like Mrs Flood’s front door is?” asked a third. “Maybe she is the Master, as doesn’t the Chameleon Circuit on his/her/their TARDIS work?”
It’s worth noting that all of these Mrs Flood theories remain pure speculation for now. We’ll update this page with any new information about the character as it becomes available.
For more Who mysteries, check out our guide to Susan Twist. You can also keep note of the Doctor Who Season 14 release schedule, and make sure you know how to watch Doctor Who Season 14.