Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who) Who" by the Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue, who plays the waitress Astrid Peth. Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies described her casting as a "very exceptional case", having written the part of Astrid specifically for Minogue. On its original airdate, "Voyage of the Damned" was watched by 13.31 million viewers, the highest viewing figure for "Doctor Who" since the 1979 serial "City of Death" and still the highest viewership of any episode since the show's revival. It was the second most-watched programme of 2007, beaten only by the episode of "EastEnders" which aired immediately after it. Critical
Astrid Peth makers of cynically including shots of Minogue's cleavage and legs. Tim Teeman of the "Times Online" described Astrid as "gutsy", but commented on Minogue's "older" appearance and likened her "breathy delivery" to her performance as Charlene Mitchell in "Neighbours". In 2012, Will Salmon of "SFX" named Astrid's demise as one of the five worst companion departures, writing that her death circumstance was "a bit daft" and her starlight farewell was a "laughably mawkish scene". Billie Piper, who portrayed former companion Rose Tyler, commented that it was a "great idea" to cast Minogue, and was disappointed to miss meeting and befriending