Jo Martin

Jo Martin (born 29 April) is an English actress and writer. On television, she is known for her roles in the BBC series The Crouches (2003–2005) as Natalie Crouch, Back to Life (2019–2021) as Janice, Holby City (2019–2022) as Max McGerry, and Doctor Who (2020–2022, 2025) as the Fugitive Doctor, Dreaming Whilst Black as Grace and The Marlow Murder Club (2024–present) as Suzy Harris.

Early life Martin was born on 29 April 1969 in Newham, London to Jamaican parents. Her parents arrived in the area in the 1950s. She attended Portway Primary School and Plashet All Girls Secondary School. Her mother died on Christmas Day 2015.

Career Doctor Who

Martin first appeared in the series 12 episode "Fugitive of the Judoon", playing Ruth Clayton, a tourist guide who is later revealed to be a incarnation of the Doctor, placed before the First Doctor, known as the Fugitive Doctor. Martin's Doctor received positive reviews from critics. She reprised her role in the series finale, "The Timeless Children", in the third chapter of Doctor Who: Flux, "Once, Upon Time", and in the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor". Martin later returned to the role in a cameo appearance in the 2025 episode "The Story & the Engine".

Martin starred in The Fugitive Doctor Adventures, an audio drama series focused on her character produced by Big Finish.

Tales from the Front Line In November 2020, Talawa Theatre Company released Tales from the Front Line. The first film presented a verbatim narrative from a teacher, played by Martin, talking about trying to keep themselves and their pupils safe during the pandemic, the emotional and psychological impact of the global Black Lives Matter movement, and the challenges of supporting students' education during an era of great uncertainty.

Reviews described Martin's performance as "performed so subtly" as to seem real, while being "conversational and natural".

Filmography Film

Television

Audio drama

Audiobooks

Video

Web

Year Title RoleNotes 2020The Doctors Say Thank You Herself