Hot on the back of the news that Ncuti Gatwa will be the next Doctor and that David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be doing something for Doctor Who that will air in 2023, the BBC has announced another new addition to the series.
18-year-old Yasmin Finney – who recently came to fame playing the transgender character Elle Argent in the Netflix romance drama, Heartstopper – will be a part of the 60th-anniversary celebrations alongside Tennant and Tate.
To ramp up the intrigue, she’ll be playing a character called Rose. The name is obviously meant to be significant as Rose was the title of the first episode of NuWho led by returning showrunner Russell T Davis. It was also the name of the first companion played by Billie Piper.
It looks like Aunty Beeb is full of Doctor Who announcements and wants to drip feed us information rather than giving us everything in one go.
The name Rose will have meaning for Tennant’s Doctor, but I really hope they aren’t going to play upon his past relationship with Rose number 1, as admittedly, it became too icky for me.
Finney commented on her new role: “If anyone would have told 8-year-old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,”
“This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself, Russell has not only made my year, it’s made my life. I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready.”
Davies added: “Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder; how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set.
There is no word yet on what role Finney will play alongside Tate and Tennant, how many episodes (or specials) she will appear in, or whether she’ll appear as a guest star.
If she is a permanent fixture, Finney will be the first trans actor to play a companion on the TV series (although Rebecca Root has played a trans companion in audio dramas, and trans actors have appeared in episodes and spin-offs before).
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