A trans actress has been cast to play Rose in Doctor Who.
Yasmin Finney, who also plays Elle Argent in Netflix's smash-hit Heartstopper, will join the show's 60th anniversary celebrations alongside the highly-anticipated returns of David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
The news also comes after the announcement of Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor under Russell T. Davies' returning stewardship.
In a statement, as per the Radio Times, the 18-year-old said: "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.
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"I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready."
Her casting as Rose has made fans particularly curious about the direction of the show, particularly given Tennant's return.
Of course, Billie Piper earlier played Rose Tyler, the first 'NuWho' companion to Christopher Eccleston and Tennant's Doctors.
Rose is also the title of Davies’ very first Doctor Who episode, but it's not been confirmed whether the two characters are linked at all; interestingly, some have predicted the introduction of a multiverse.
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Piper returned for an anniversary special in 2013, but it's yet to be announced whether we'll see her again next year.
Davies hasn't shied away from acknowledge the significance of the name, saying: "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.
"We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world - and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!"
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As for Tennant and Tate's return, Davies said: "They’re back! And it looks impossible – first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna. What on earth is happening?
“Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”
Doctor Who will also return to BBC One to mark the broadcaster's centenary, also bringing Jodie Whittaker’s tenure to an end.
Topics: Doctor Who, BBC, TV and Film
Cameron Frew