It runs in the family, then! Although Karen wasn't a self-confessed Whovian until she experienced the wonders of the Whoniverse first hand, there was one person in particular who was extremely excited by the prospect of her joining the show's coveted ranks as the Doctor's new companion. Her mother, Marie, was a huge Doctor Who fan when her daughter was signed up as its new leading lady, so much so that she was already the proud owner of a Dalek toothbrush. Now that's dedication! The course of being the star of Doctor Who, who also just so happens to be the daughter of a Doctor Who fanatic, never did run smooth, however, and Karen couldn't tell her mum anything about her work in fear that it would be too much for her Whovian feels to handle. Karen even had to ask for permission to leave the show, revealing that her mum was "devastated" when she found out that Amy would be bidding adieu to the Time Lord after two and a half years. Bet that was an awkward conversation. Speaking of which, Karen's real life cousin, Caitlin Blackwood, portrayed the young version of Amy in Doctor Who and the read through for their debut episode, The Eleventh Hour, was actually the first time they'd ever met. It wasn't just a coincidence, as Karen had recommend Caitlin for the role, but it's certainly a unique case of keeping it in the family.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
