Doctor Who: 11 Most Memorable Companion Exits Of The Last Decade

11. Astrid Peth (Voyage Of The Damned)

Doctor Who is now an integral staple of our Christmas Day festivities and back in 2007 the show delivered its most ambitious festive escapade to date when the Tenth Doctor joined forces with pop sensation Kylie Minogue for the disaster movie to end them all. It wasn't really a movie, of course, but with its ambitious plot, cinematic special effects and extended running time, it might as well have been! Fresh from his heartfelt farewell with Martha Jones at the end of the last series (more on that later), the Doctor was in need of a faithful friend and his Christmas wish came true when he encountered the pop sensation aboard a spaceship replica of the RMS Titanic. Just 'cause. To make the whole thing even more perfect, Astrid Peth was working as a reluctant waitress who dreamed of a more exciting life. It was a match made in heaven, really, but Astrid unfortunately wasnt given the chance to get too comfortable. Fans were already aware that this was a one off appearance so when the Doctor agreed to welcome Astrid aboard the TARDIS (she should be so lucky!), her doomed fate had already been sealed. Their time together was over before it had truly begun when Astrid went out in flames of glory - quite literally - when she sacrificed herself to save the Doctor and planet Earth (but mostly the Doctor) from the evil might of its cyborg owner Max Capricorn. In one of the most memorable and courageous companion exits to date, Astrid used a forklift truck to push Max into the ship's engines but sadly lost her own life in the process. Because it was Christmas, though, the Doctor was able to restore and release her atoms into space meaning she was finally able to travel the universe, just like she'd always wanted. It's handy that her name is an anagram of TARDIS, then. Only a series like Doctor Who could cast Kylie Minogue and then kill her off on Christmas Day. Astrid Peth's time on the show was short but sweet but the heroic nature of her untimely demise means that fans just can't get her out of their heads.