Doctor Who gets an EastEnder

Former 'EastEnders' star Lee Ross is to appear in 'Doctor Who'.

The actor - best known for playing Libby's alcoholic father Owen Turner in the BBC One soap - will play a character called Boatswain in a forthcoming episode of the sci-fi drama.

This will not be the first time Lee has appeared alongside Matt Smith - who plays the titular Time Lord - as they both had parts in BBC crime drama 'Moses Jones' in 2009.

The 39-year-old actor also played the part of DCI Litton in the retro cop series' 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes to Ashes'.

According to Lee's agents, Gordon & French, another of their actors, Danny Sapani - who starred in 'Ultimate Force' and has also appeared in episodes of 'Garrow's Law' and 'Misfits' - has also been cast in 'Doctor Who', playing a character called Colonel Manton.

Meanwhile, Karen Gillan has been spotted rehearsing scenes on a ship in London.

The set is being used for an adventure which will see the time traveller, his companion Amy Pond - who is played by Karen - and her haphazard husband Rory Williams face a group of pirates.

An onlooker described the scenes the 23-year-old actress was rehearsing, saying: "It seems that someone, presumably The Doctor or Rory, has just been forced to walk the plank and Amy fights back but is taken off guard."

'Downton Abbey' star Hugh Bonneville has been cast as a Pirate Captain in the episode.