Helen Sinclair

Helen Sinclair was a companion of the Eighth Doctor.

Biography
Helen was a language scholar for the British Museum during the 1960s. Her career was stymied by the misogynistic attitudes of the time, and the "old boys" network working against her. Despite being more than qualified for a promotion, she was denied the position by her superior who felt she wouldn't be able to commit fully due to the "fact" that women were "too emotional." (AUDIO: The Red Lady)

Helen had never been abroad until she travelled with the Doctor, and carried a box brownie camera with her. (AUDIO: The Galileo Trap)

In 1963, while working as an assistant to Professor Walter Pritchard, she met the Eighth Doctor and Liv Chenka who were in search of a temporal anomaly related to the Eleven. Joining them whilst they investigated a collection of artefacts featuring the Red Lady, she became involved in a mystery involving extraterrestrial elements. Not having seen any of the artefacts featuring the entity, Helen was unaffected by her influence, and was able to help prevent the Doctor and Liv from succumbing to her effects. After they defeated the Red Lady and the artefacts were "disposed of," Helen was dismissed from her position and threatened with being reported for the police, her boss being suspicious that she was behind their theft. Impressed by her help, the Doctor offered her the chance to join him in the TARDIS, which she accepted. (AUDIO: The Red Lady)

Arriving in Florence, 1639, she was immediately fascinated by the opportunity to visit history, so much so that she wished she had brought her camera so she could take pictures of it. She joined Cavalli in investigating Cleaver and saw her first spaceship, helping the Doctor and Galileo to defeat him and Fortuna, his fellow Volkbrood. (AUDIO: The Galileo Trap) She was used in the Eleven's game against the Doctor, being captured by an Orb aboard the Eleven's stellar manipulator and prepared for dissection. However, Paine arrived and stopped it, allowing her and Liv to flee to the TARDIS. (AUDIO: The Satanic Mill)

After this ordeal, the Doctor took her and Liv to Stegmoor to recuperate. She wanted to go somewhere a bit more alien. She helped to move the Doctor when he fell unconscious. She told the Doctor about the Voord spaceship on the beach. (AUDIO: Beachhead) She couldn't understand the dimensions of the antic TARDIS. Caleera used her powers to empathise with her. (AUDIO: Scenes From Her Life) When they landed in San Francisco, 1906 Liv trusted her guide her round the city as it was closer to her time then Liv's. She was taken by Aldo Deluca because he wanted to know about the gift. (AUDIO: The Gift) On Syra, Ruslan tried to threaten her into the truth and then trapped her with River Song. She helped River to contact Galactic Heritage and promised to keep her secret. (AUDIO: The Sonomancer)

Behind the scenes
In the behind the scenes extras to Doom Coalition 1, producer David Richardson cites Verity Lambert as a source of inspiration for the character of Helen Sinclair, something acknowledged in her coming from 1963.