Collins to star as 'Doctor Who' baddie?

Iconic British actress Joan Collins has reportedly signed up to play a time-travelling villain in the forthcoming season of Doctor Who.

The News of the World claims that 74-year-old Collins, best known for her role as 'uber-bitch' Alexis Carrington Colby in the soap Dynasty, has already signed up for the role of The Doctor's arch nemesis The Rani, a scheming Gallifreyan scientist who appeared twice in the classic series.

The tabloid quotes an insider in the show as saying: "The Doctor Who team are delighted they've managed to sign Joan. It's a real coup. [She's] perfect for the role... like Alexis Colby with a sonic screwdriver."

The Rani was originally portrayed by Kate O'Mara in 1985's 'The Mark of the Rani' opposite Colin Baker and in Sylvester McCoy's debut story 'Time and the Rani' in 1987. O'Mara, who reprised the role in a 1993 Children In Need special, also played Collins' younger sister Cassandra in Dynasty.

Earlier this year, The Sun reported that Footballers' Wives star Zoe Lucker was a "dead cert" for the part of the Time Lady.