Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22nd July, 1964) appeared as the Doctor's companion Mel, debuting in "Terror of the Vervoids," one of the stories in "The Trial of a Time Lord," and departing at the conclusion of "Dragonfire." She has since reprised the role in several audio dramas for Big Finish. She first achieved fame as a child actor, starring in the television series Just William and the film Bugsy Malone.
Langford was born at Hampton Court, Surrey. She married fellow actor Paul Grunert in 1995 and has one daughter (born 2000).
Her stage work includes Annie, Peter Pan: The Musical, Cats and The Pirates of Penzance. Bonnie was a regular guest (2003-2005) on Sandi Toksvig's weekday lunchtime show on LBC radio and occasionally deputised when Sandi was ill or on holiday. Langford had just completed a run in Peter Pan at the time she was announced as the Doctor's newest companion, and a publicity photo was passed round of Langford in costume as Peter and Colin Baker in costume as the Doctor, "flying" together on wires.
She has received a fair amount of abuse over her career, as she has been widely perceived as an overly perky youth. (Some Doctor Who fans have voiced similar complaints about the character of Mel.) Noel Coward reportedly made the comment, after seeing a play with the young Bonnie Langford in it in which a horse also defecated on the stage, "If they had shoved the child's head up the horse's arse they would have solved two problems at once."
On 23 October, 2005 Bonnie performed in Children Will Listen, a 75th birthday tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London and is currently appearing in the pantomime Cinderella at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.
In January of 2006, Bonnie was a celebrity contestant on ITV's Dancing On Ice, along with fellow ex-Doctor Who companion and musical theatre stalwart John Barrowman.
Langford has the distinction of being the first companion actor to have been born after the start of the original series, and the only such actor to appear in the original series.
Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker has praised Bonnie Langford, in an extra for the Trial of a Time Lord DVD Box Set he states that in his long career he never has worked with someone more professional then her.
Filmography
- Dimensions in Time (1993) (TV)
- Doctor Who (1986-1987)
- The Hot Shoe Show (1983) TV Series
- Wombling Free (1977)
- aka Wombling Free: The Movie (UK: video title)
- Bugsy Malone (1976) (as Bonita Langford)
- Just William (1976) TV Series