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 online edition of the News Shopper currently features an interview with Sixth Doctor Colin Baker about his upcoming appearance in the Alan Ayckbourn play Bedroom Farce at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley.

Bedroom Farce is a comic assault on the middle-class, revolving around three couples and the conversations and encounters within their three bedrooms.

"Alan Ayckbourn is a genius. I've done four Ayckbourn plays and they have always been the best fun I've ever had. I've never been to an Ayckbourn I haven't enjoyed and never taken part in one the audience haven't enjoyed. It's the main ingredient for success I think, Alan Ayckbourn."

Colin talks about his long career (both acting and writing), his entry into the Eurovision Song Contest last year, and about his co-star in the play, Louise Jameson.

"Around 90 per cent of what I do (in Bedroom Farce) is with Louise Jameson, who I know terribly well. We've worked together two or three times before and we're great friends. We even have a show we do together called Love Letters. This means rehearsals will be fun. She's always ticking me off for misbehaving."

The Daleks are Doctor Who's scariest villains, according to a new survey.

An online poll of Doctor Who fans was commissioned by the BBC for theofficial programme website to mark the Daleks' return to the show tomorrow night in the UK.

More than 21,000 voted, and Nick Briggs, who voices the monsters, said: "I've been fortunate enough to provide the voices for a wide variety of Doctor Who villains over the years, but the Daleks seem to have stood the test of time as the scariest and most iconic space terrors that the Doctor has ever encountered."

Doctor Who lead writer and co-executive producer Russell T Davies said: "Every time the Daleks return we make them bigger and better than ever before, and this time, their plan is the most audacious Dalek scheme yet."

He added: "Even the Doctor finds himself out of his depth."

Second in the poll were the Empty Child Zombies from 2005, while the Beast from last year's two-parter The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit was third.

The top ten are detailed below.

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.

The full shooting script for Smith and Jones has been put online at theBBC Writers Room.

Series head Russell T Davies gave the go-ahead for the script to be made available, according to the official programme website.

The Writers Room is used by the BBC to find and champion new talent.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to download the script.

From our friends at Tenth Planet, we've received the cover illustration for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Robot, the first Tom Baker serial from 1974. The DVD will be issued on 4th June 2007. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover.

Doctor Who Magazine has released the third installment of their In Their Own Words series. This Special Edition covers 1977 to 1981 and features interviews with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Graham Williams, John Leeson, Robert Holmes, Mary Tamm, Douglas Adams, Lalla Ward,John Nathan Turner, Christopher H Bidmead, Matthew Waterhouse and hundreds more - plus an Afterword by Shakespeare Code writer Gareth Roberts!