Who is Mrs Flood in Doctor Who? All the theories around mystery Anita Dobson character

The first half of the epic two-part finale was released on BBC iPlayer this morning (15th June) and it appears Mrs Flood is not quite who she appears to be, but there are plenty of questions still to be answered!

Mrs Flood is the next-door neighbour of Ruby Sunday and her family, and seems like a sweet and innocuous lady - until the credits scene of the Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road, when she turned to the camera and said: "Never seen a TARDIS before?"

We then got a smile and a wink from the mysterious Mrs Flood to roll into the rest of the credits and now, it's clear there is a lot more than what meets the eye.

Speaking on Doctor Who: Unleashed at Christmas, showrunner Davies said: "Mrs Flood is a mysterious character. You will eventually find out more about her. She’s a slow burn, Mrs Flood. Who is Mrs Flood? Come back and find out!"

Dobson, meanwhile, added: "Today what you see is a friendly neighbour. What the future may be, no one knows. Russell is writing it as we speak."

So, just who is Mrs Flood? RadioTimes.com has round-up all the theories about the mystery character.

Who is Mrs Flood in Doctor Who? All the theories for Anita Dobson role

Susan Foreman?

Considering Mrs Flood's familiarity with the TARDIS and numerous references to the Doctor's family, offspring and a namecheck for Susan herself, some fans have speculated that Mrs Flood is indeed the Doctor's long-lost granddaughter Susan Foreman, played by Carole Ann Ford.

Of course, Susan has a long history with the TARDIS, and also knows all about time travel - could she have somehow gone back in time and at some point also have experienced a regeneration?

• Read More: Doctor Who's Carole Ann Ford hints at Susan's return after The Devil's Chord

A member of the Pantheon?

Of course, it was teased back in Wild Blue Yonder that dangerous forces would be on their way, and so they were with the likes of the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) and Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon), but we know more are on the way, as teased by Russell T Davies.

Could Mrs Flood be another member of these powerful beings, and could she be keeping an eye on Ruby Sunday for a reason?

Maestro was also the only other character apart from the Doctor to break the fourth wall in recent episodes...

Another Time Lord?

Of course, Susan is not the only Gallifreyan to potentially take the form of Mrs Flood. Whether it is the Master, the Rani, Romana or the Meddling Monk - multiple people could now appear to be Ruby's sweet neighbour.

It would certainly explain the familiarity with a TARDIS, that is for sure!

• Read More: Doctor Who showrunner confirms the Master is "parked": "Time to start again"

Ruby Sunday's mother?

Given that Mrs Flood lives next door to the Sundays and that Ruby is one special young lady, could she have a connection to Ruby?

Could Mrs Flood be the mysterious biological mother of Ruby Sunday, but with a further time-travelling/alien twist? Could she be her grandmother?

So many Ruby-related questions.

An older Ruby Sunday?

Given the timey-wimey nature of Doctor Who, could she even be an older Ruby Sunday?!

It would be a strange twist, but also totally Doctor Who.

Something entirely unexpected?

Given how little evidence we have to go on with Mrs Flood, there really is no limit to explaining her true nature.

In The Legend of Ruby Sunday, Mrs. Flood makes another appearance, summoned by Carla Sunday (Michelle Greenidge) to look after her mother Cherry (Angela Wynter) so that Carla can accompany Ruby (Millie Gibson) to UNIT HQ.

But Mrs. Flood is far from a perfect caregiver – rather than make Cherry a cup of tea, she delivers an ominous warning. "I'd be very careful, Mrs Sunday – there's a storm coming in… He waits no more."

Clearly, Mrs. Flood is somehow aware of the imminent arrival of the god-like being Sutekh – but just how she knows this, and who she really is, remains to be seen…

She could be something completely new and unpredictable, but rest assured we will keep our eyes peeled for every clue possible.

Read more:

• Doctor Who hints at Susan’s return – and confirms major family reveal
• Doctor Who's Bonnie Langford explains UNIT "comedy duo" energy with Yasmin Finney

Doctor Who continues on Saturday 22nd June on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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