The Seventh Doctor's companion Hex is raising money for charity after releasing a song on iTunes on Monday.

Philip Olivier has released a song in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care, in which he reveals a hidden talent – he’s not only written the song, Land of Smiles, but he sings it AND plays the ukulele. Philip said: “As I’ve got older, it’s always niggled me that I never learned to play an instrument. So when I turned 30, I decided to learn something.

"Then, about 16 months ago, I was at a friend’s house and he had a ukulele. He told me it only had four strings and I couldn’t go wrong with it, so I picked it up, and by the end of the night I was strumming away and thought, ‘I can do this.’

“I went to a music shop and bought myself a ukulele, and I was hooked. I threw away the Xbox and the ukulele sorted out my free time.”

Philip says he found it easier to write his own songs rather than just singing cover versions. “Just before Christmas, my friend was going to Thailand and I said, ‘You’re going to the land of smiles.’ We were having a drink together, and by the end of the night, I’d written this song about Thailand, the Land of Smiles.

“The next day, I was still singing it, and my niece really liked it, and then every time the family got together, they were asking me to play it.”

The song also struck a chord with a friend of Philip’s who owns a recording studio in Weston-super-Mare, and “He eventually persuaded me to record it,” smiled Philip, “and we did it in the studio, adding in bongos and everything we could to give it a happy feeling, so it would sound like something you’d hear on the beach in Thailand.”

A video was also recorded in Weston Super Mare, with everyone giving up their time to work on the song for free. Phil added: “September is cancer awareness month, so it’s the right time to release it.

“Cancer has affected everybody – my girlfriend lost her grandad to cancer in September last year. I’ve done a lot of work with Marie Curie over the last few years, and it’s amazing to see the work they do. It’s not just for people who have cancer, but also their families, providing respite for them, as well as care and bereavement counselling.

“Big Finish fans are known for their generosity, so if they have 79p to spare and want to buy the song, they are giving to a great cause.” 

A spokeswoman for Marie Curie said: "We’re really delighted that Philip has chosen to support Marie Curie and raise money for the charity through the sales of his song Land of Smiles. 

All the money raised will go towards helping Marie Curie care for more people living with terminal illnesses, as well as providing vital emotional support for their loved ones.”

Land of Smiles is available to buy on iTunes.

Philip Olivier plays Hex in the Big Finish Doctor Who main range stories, including last month's Doctor Who: Revenge of the Swarm, and the impending Doctor Who: Mask of Tragedy and Doctor Who: Signs and Wonders.

PICTURE COURTESY OF IAN FRASER