Ingrid Oliver (born 25 February 1977) is a British actress and comedian, and one half of the comic double act Watson & Oliver. She played Petronella Osgood, a supporting character in the BBC television series Doctor Who.
Career Oliver and her comedy partner Lorna Watson met at Tiffin Girls' School in Kingston upon Thames. She then read modern languages at New College, Oxford. In September 2005, Watson and Oliver performed their first show together at the Canal Cafe Theatre in London. They took sell-out shows to Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006 and 2007..
Oliver has performed in various radio and television programmes, including Doc Martin, The Penny Dreadfuls''' radio series The Penny Dreadfuls Present... The Brothers Faversham. and the radio series Another Case of Milton Jones. She played the part of Natalie in Peep Show on Channel 4.
She appears in the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging as Miss Stamp, and in early 2009 could be seen in Channel 4's sitcom Plus One..
In 2010, Oliver played Mimi Throckmorton in Material Girl on BBC One, alongside Lenora Crichlow and Dervla Kirwan.. In 2012, she appeared on Let's Dance For Sport Relief with comedy partner Lorna Watson, dancing Boléro, famously used by Torvill and Dean. The following year, she appeared in the first episode of The Great Comic Relief Bake Off and was named as 'Star Baker'. The same year, she appeared in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who, "The Day of the Doctor", as Petronella Osgood. She reprised the role in the episodes "Death in Heaven", "The Zygon Invasion", and "The Zygon Inversion"; UNIT, an audio drama spinoff series produced by Big Finish Productions; and Doctor Who: Redacted, a BBC radio drama spin-off series.
In 2024, Oliver played a supporting role in Sweetpea on Sky Atlantic.
In 2025, Oliver was one of the judges of the 'Published Novel' category of the Comedy Women in Print Prize.
Personal life Oliver was born to a German father and English mother. Her grandfather, Eric Gideon, was a D-Day veteran who died in 2017, shortly after receiving the Légion d'Honneur for his service to France during the war. Her mother is former Conservative MP Jo Gideon, who became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stoke-on-Trent Central in 2019. Oliver has British and German nationality.
She began a relationship with Richard Osman in 2020; they became engaged in May 2022 and married in December 2022. They met when she was a contestant on TV celebrity quiz show Richard Osman's House of Games''.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2008Angus, Thongs and Perfect SnoggingMrs. Stamp2017You, Me and HimLily2019The HustleBrigitte DesjardinsLast ChristmasPolice Woman Crowley2025The Thursday Murder ClubJoanna
Television Year Title Role Notes2005 Footprints in the Snow Back-Up Organiser TV film Doc Martin Radio Technician Episode: "Aromatherapy"2006 Vital Signs Mother #2 Episode #1.2Now the Weather Unaired Pilot2007 Biffovision Mrs. Peggy TV film Watson & Oliver: The Movie Various characters TV film; also writer Comedy Showcase Rebecca Black Episode: "Plus One"2008 The Gym Miriam 1 episode Peep Show Natalie Episode: "Jeremy's Mummy" Tonightly Ingrid Episode #1.1 The Wrong Door Various characters 6 episodes; also writer2009 Plus One Rebecca Black 5 episodes The Fixer Sadie Episode #2.42010 The Persuationists Harriet Episode: "The Australianess" Material Girl Mimi Throckmorton 6 episodes2011 Twenty Twelve Assistant producer of The Today Programme Episode #1.6 Lead Balloon Jenny Episode: "Pig" 2012–2013 Watson & Oliver Various characters 12 episodes; also writer 2012–2016 The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret Yancy McPickles/Vanessa Blojabditz 4 episodes 2013–2015 Doctor Who Petronella Osgood 4 episodes 2014 GameFace Clare Episode: "Pilot" 2016 Plebs Camilla Episode: "Justin Junior" 2017 The Magicians Hudson River Dragon (voice) Episode: "The Rattening"2019 Silent Witness DI Briggs 2 episodes Defending the Guilty Fiona 3 episodes 2021 The Watch Doctor Cruces 4 episodes 2023 Beyond Paradise Cassie Parker Episode #1.4 2024 Father Brown Gaynor Garfield Episode: "The Forensic Nun" Sweetpea D.I. Diana St. John 4 episodes2026Run AwayYvonne Previdi8 episodes2026RivalsClara1 episode
Stage Year Title RoleVenue Notes Goethe's Faust GretchenSt. John's College Theatre King Lear CordeliaTabard Theatre Heartbreak House Hesione HushabyeAnatolAnnie2003Revolving DoorKellyTheatro TechnisButterflies Are FreeFlorence BakerVienna's English TheatreLoveplayVarious charactersFinborough Theatre2004Eskimo SistersMoCamden People's Theatre2006The ShelterAngela TrumpetLawrence Batley Theatre2015HarveyMyrtle Mae SimmonsBirmingham Repertory Theatre2017Ingrid Oliver: Speech!Various charactersEdinburgh Festival FringeOne-woman show
Video games Year Title Role 2013 Company of Heroes 2 2018 Doctor Who Infinity: The Dalek Invasion of TimePetronella Osgood (voice) 2019 Doctor Who Infinity: The Horror of Flat Holm 2021 Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins Petronella Osgood
Radio Year Title RoleProduction Notes2007–2012The CastleLady CharlotteBBC Radio 4 (series 1–3)24 episodesBBC Radio 4 Extra (series 4)2008The Brothers FavershamAlexandra FavershamBBC Radio 74 episodesMore Brothers Faversham4 episodes2009CavityKirstyBBC Radio 42013ElvenQuestPenthiselea6 episodes2014The ArchitectsSarah4 episodesMen About The HouseEve FeevisPilot2015A Trespasser's Guide to The ClassicsEmmaEpisode: "The Rat-Catchers of Yonville" 2019–2022 Party's Over Christine Tobin12 episodes2021The AttendantDenise/Evil DeniseEpisode: "Sci-Fi"
References
External links