The Daily Record is currently featuring an interview with American actorRyan Carnes, best known for his role as Justin in Desperate Housewives, about his experience under heavy pig makeup as Laszlo inDaleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.

Ryan had many years of research for the role under his belt even before being approached for it - he grew up on a pig farm: "It's ironic as my father and grandfather raised pigs until around the time I was 10. I used to help feed and call the pigs daily. And to make this part even more spooky, I grew up in Pike County, Illinois, which at one time was the 'pork capital of the world'. So playing a pig after working on a pig farm in the world capital of pigs is all very strange."

Ryan was not a fan of Doctor Who or of science fiction, but he says he "didn't have to really think too hard about taking the role" as he was familiar with the show's global appeal: "I wasn't a fan, but I'd known about it because a friend of mine had a Doctor Who pinball machine in his basement when I was a teenager, so that was my first introduction as an American."

Ryan also talks about the isolation of being under that much makeup, his desire to become an action figure, and his newfound respect for the Daleks.

The British Sunday tabloid newspaper the News of the World is running a report this morning claiming that Australian actress and pop star Kylie Minogue has been cast in the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special. Minogue, best known internationally for a string of chart hits including "I Should Be So Lucky" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head", began her career as an actress in the popular soap opera Neighbours in the late 1980s. She has also appeared in films such asStreet Fighter (1994) and Moulin Rouge (2001).

Says the News of the World's report:

"A BBC insider said: 'Kylie jumped at the chance to be in the show and is really looking forward to acting again. She is flattered to be asked to be in such a classic TV show.

'The Doctor Who team are delighted they've got someone as sexy and high profile as Kylie to ensure they win the annual ratings battle with ITV.'"

The report also claims that Minogue was persuaded to take the role by her friend and stylist Will Baker, a Doctor Who fan who has included several sets and costumes inspired by the programme in her stage tour in recent years. The paper also claims that she will appear in the programme as a Cyberwoman, but this is not supported in any of their "insider" quotes.

The paper adds:

"The show spokesman added: 'Russell [T Davies] is just putting the finishing touches to the episode and it will be TV dynamite.' Russell, who has met Kylie to discuss the part, said: 'I imagined she'd be booked up for the next two years'."

The Western Mail newspaper, based in Cardiff, has a promotion starting tomorrow and running every day until Friday, April 27 in which a series of exclusive, glossy, double-sided, official Doctor Who posters featuring different characters and villains will be given away free.

Click on the image below for a larger version of one of the posters.

Carole E Barrowman, the older sister of John, has written a piece for theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel about the perils of going shopping with the star sibling in Cardiff - even late at night.

Headlined "Shopping With Captain Jack", it has been done for the Voices ongoing series of essays. Carole E Barrowman is a professor of English at Alverno College.

(Thanks to Laurence E Dickerson.)

The MediaGuardian's "Media Monkey" diary column (requires free registration to view) has run a report today claiming that David Tennant is "guaranteed" to star in the fourth series of Doctor Who, which would be his third series in the role. MediaGuardian.co.uk is the section of The Guardiannewspaper's Guardian Unlimited website that is entirely dedicated to media news and analysis. Although unattributed, the "Media Monkey" column is usually a reliable source of UK media news and gossip. The full excerpt from the column is reproduced below.

Press reviews have started to appear in the Sunday newspapers for last night's third series opener of Doctor Who. TheSunday People's critic Jon Wise expresses disappointment with "Smith and Jones", stating that "The BBC'S biggest, brightest, shiniest and most overly-hyped flagship show - Doctor Who Really Cares Any More? - is back... What was once new and exciting is now boring and repetitive. It feels a struggle to have to engage with a new sidekick for the Doctor... While it was still easily watchable sci-fi fun, after two series this is starting to feel lazy and lame." The Daily Mirror's verdict from Kevin O'Sullivan is mixed: O'Sullivan feels that Freema Agyeman "is set to be just as popular as her smash-hit predecessor Billie Piper," while adding "there's no denying that energetic David Tennant doesn't deliver the goods."

The online version of The Stage entertainment industry newspaper carries a review by assistant editor Scott Matthewman, which also praises Agyeman. "Freema may have proved herself capable to be the new companion, but she has big shoes to fill. And it’s to the series’ credit that it openly acknowledges the Rose-shaped hole and makes it a virtue. By doing that, it helps set up what should be an interesting series. Bring it on!" However, Matthewman feels that the plot of the episode "doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. An MRI scanner, capable of being tweaked to kill everything within 250,000 miles? On an NHS budget? (Seriously though, it could kill everything on Earth — even from the moon — but Anne Reid plans to escape by hiding behind a screen?)".

The centre spread of today's edition of The Sun features Paul Kasey.

The 33-year-old, who has played a variety of monsters in the revamped series, tells what it's like to act behind the heavy make-up and prosthetics.

A sidebar by Sun TV editor Sara Nathan focuses on Freema Agyeman.

NB: Both articles contain plot details.

Today's edition of The Times has a huge feature on the new series.

A banner splash reading "Who's hot" runs across the front page under the masthead, and the three-page article by Caitlin Moran is in the Times2 section as the lead story, with David Tennant on the cover.

NB: Contains a major character spoiler.