Lalla Ward

Lalla: (on leaving Doctor Who during Warriors Gate) I'd made up my mind before the start of recording for the new series that I'd like to go halfway through. John Nathan-Turner had exactly the same feeling, so we had no conflict over the decision - it was entirely amicable and a relief, because I'd been dreading telling him, and vice-versa, I think. I loathed [Warriors' Gate] because it was my last. I was conscious the whole time of this being the last one. I was leaving part of me behind with it, and I was miserable. I was pleased that I got a nice open-ended departure. I was also delighted that I got K9 as company - it somehow eased the break. An excellent story - good for Romana, but terribly sad for me.

Lalla: (on theater versus television) I love the theater and I do like to work 'live' every so often, but my first loyalty is to television. I discovered quite early on that a camera never lets you down. The atmosphere of television is right for me.

Lalla: (about the saying "Never working with children and robotic dogs.") No, the maxim is not true, robotic dogs are definitely the thing to work with, K9, aren't you. Probably better than real dogs I dare say.

Lalla: (on her career)Acting is supposed to have some terrible low points, but I had none.

Lalla: (About costumes for Romana) I'm ashamed of the way I bossed my poor designers around! They were always letting me have my own way, so I had a tremendous time. I used to loathe having to wear school uniform, and I thought, if a heroine of mine on television had worn it, I'd have thought 'good, then I'll wear it.

Lalla: (on getting the role of Romana) My audition was, unwittingly, a six-week series! I was fortunate, because when I joined, I knew everybody, so the 'first-night jitters' were not so concentrated.

Lalla: (on her time at Central School Of Speech And Drama) I was so much younger than everybody else, and they let me in without any practical experience, so you can imagine I was pretty overawed - at first I was totally horrified. But once I got some confidence, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a period of my life more.

Lalla: (about auditioning for drama schools) It was a 'see if you can do it' sort of thing, because it was the thing I hated most — just like somebody who's scared of heights might go rock climbing, or, I don't know, go potholing if they're claustrophobic.

Lalla: (About her marriage to Tom Baker) It's something I still feel sad about. I loved — and, in many ways, still love — Tom very much. The trouble is, our careers came to be just as important as each other, and we grew apart. I was angry at suggestions that it didn't work because I was too young, or that Tom was unreasonable to me. We just irritated each other occasionally — we weren't close enough, I suppose. It was a decision we discussed and felt was for the best.