G is for... Grace

Grace was a nurse who helped look after Sheffield bus driver Graham O'Brien when he had cancer. The two later married. She had a grown up son from a previous marriage, as well as a grandson named Ryan, who idolised her. He refused to accept Grace's new husband as his new grandfather. Grace was travelling home with Graham one evening when the train they were on was attacked by an alien machine creature - a Gathering Coil - which had come in search of another passenger. Soon after, the newly regenerated Doctor fell through the roof of their carriage. The Doctor was later taken to the home of Grace and Graham, and they joined her in searching for the alien who controlled the creature from the train - a member of the Stenza race called Tzim-Sha. He was hunting for the passenger from the train - a young man named Karl who worked at a building site. Whilst Graham was reluctant to get involved, Grace believed that they should help the Doctor. At the building site, Grace was asked to keep out of trouble but she elected to use an electrical cable to disable the Coil. She succeeded, but at the cost of her own life. Ryan was upset when his father failed to show up for her funeral.

Graham joined the Doctor, Ryan and PC Yasmin Khan on their travels in the TARDIS. When they next arrived back in Sheffield, Graham was reminded of Grace in their old house, imagining her still there and advising him. Later, the TARDIS crew visited a pocket universe inhabited by the Solitract, a being which was incompatible with the normal universe. In order to attract company, it could appear as the loved ones of people who visited - and appeared to Graham as Grace. When the Doctor was left alone in the alternate universe, the Solitract appeared as a frog, but spoke in Grace's voice.

Graham later had the chance to avenge Grace's death when they encountered Tzim-Sha on an alien planet, but he elected not to kill him.

Played by: Sharon D Clarke. Appearances: The Woman Who Fell To Earth, Arachnids in the UK, It Takes You Away (2018).

• Grace only really appears in the first episode of Series 11. In her second story she is a ghostly vision in Graham's memory, and in the final appearance is really an alien in Grace's form.