She screamed stylishly so you didn’t have to.
Character Overview
Polly (played by Anneke Wills) joined the TARDIS crew in 1966’s The War Machines, immediately after Dodo’s off-screen “country retreat” exit. A London secretary with fashionable mod style, Polly was meant to inject a dose of 1960s glamour into the show — miniskirts, eyeliner, and the ability to look faintly exasperated while monsters loomed in the background.
At first glance, Polly might have seemed like another companion whose job was to scream at the right cue, but she quickly showed more backbone than expected. She was clever, brave when needed, and had a knack for keeping the Doctor and Ben vaguely tethered to sanity. In fact, Polly earned the affectionate nickname “Duchess” from Ben, partly because of her posh accent and partly because she could cut you down with one look if you got too cheeky.
She was also present for one of the most historic moments in Doctor Who history: the first regeneration. When William Hartnell turned into Patrick Troughton, Polly and Ben served as the audience’s stand-ins — skeptical, baffled, and muttering things like, “Are we really supposed to trust this new guy?” Turns out, yes. Polly stuck around for the new Doctor’s earliest adventures, including tangling with Daleks, Cybermen, and giant crabs (yes, really — The Macra Terror).
Polly’s exit in The Faceless Ones was actually one of the tidier early goodbyes. She and Ben both decided to stay in 1966 London, which conveniently was the exact date they left with the Doctor in the first place. Basically: “We’ve come full circle, let’s get off the ride.” At least she got a proper send-off, unlike poor Dodo’s vanishing act.