Wendy Padbury tows a perfect line between effortless elegance and profound cuteness. She’s about as tiny as I am, which is always a refreshing change to having to crane my neck at unhealthy angles to talk to people, but I digress.
Lovely Wendy is, of course, fondly remembered for her portrayal of spangly futuristic girl genius Zoe, playing opposite Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines. Much to the delight of this TARDIS Team Cute fangirl, it is a role she continues to reprise in the Big Finish audio range. And what’s more, in her subsequent work as an agent, she represented a number of later Who actors, and went on to discover Matt Smith, so Eleventh Doctor enthusiasts owe her a big hug, wouldn’t you agree?
We meet on an overcast patio on a grey but comfortable autumn day, where she is enjoying the most elegant cigarette I think I’ve ever seen. It surprises a fellow patiomate that someone who was on children’s television in the 60s occasionally uses grown-up language. Of course she does, but with such affable, down-to-earth grace. Keep being fabulous, Wendy. We love you.
⋇ Wendy Padbury in fact disliked this costume because the jacket and skirt, made of PVC plastic, ripped easily and had to be fixed or replaced multiple times during this serial’s production. In addition, she preferred for Zoe to wear jumpsuits or pants instead of such a short skirt.
Two and Jamie and Zoe are one of the best TARDIS Teams, because there’s three of them and each one is equally convinced (and with equal legitimacy) that they are the Holder of the Team Braincell.
The Doctor thinks he’s the Only Sane Man because he’s a grown-up Time Lord and the other two are teenagers; Jamie thinks he’s the Only Sane Man because the other two are nerds; and Zoe thinks she is because the other two are, well… Two and Jamie. As you can see, they all have strong arguments.
(And in the end it all balances out to roughly equal amounts of idiocy, which is perfect.)
