Doctor Who introduces Rebecca Root as the show’s first transgender companion for new audio series
Doctor Who has introduced its first transgender companion for the show’s new Big Finish audio series Stranded.
Rebecca Root will portray the role of Tania Bell alongside the BBC favourite’s Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, Torchwood star Tom Price, and Tom Baker as The Curator.
On her new role, the actress and stand-up comedian, 51, teased: ‘She’s not perfect, but she’s not a mess, and certainly, I don’t think her gender identity has any influence on her behaviour in the story.’
Making history: Doctor Who has introduced its first transgender companion, Rebecca Root as Tania Bell (pictured far left), for the show’s new Big Finish audio series Stranded
The Boy Meets Girl star also detailed what it would have meant for her to aspire to a character like Tania while growing up.
Rebecca told Nerdist: ‘It would have been amazing to see a trans person in a show like Doctor Who. In fact, to see a trans person period would have been amazing.
‘But I [grew] up in the ’70s and society was differently populated back then, and gender ID was not really “a thing.”‘
The media personality, who is best known for her role as Judy in BBC Two sitcom Boy Meets Girl, was honoured as ‘one of the very few openly trans actresses in mainstream television’ in The Independent on Sunday’s Rainbow List 2014.
Exciting: On her new role, the actress and stand-up comedian (pictured in 2018), 51, said: ‘I don’t think her gender identity has any influence on her behaviour in the story’
In good company: The TV star will play her role alongside the BBC favourite’s Eighth Doctor Paul McGann (pictured), Torchwood star Tom Price, and Tom Baker as The Curator
The sci-fi TV programme first cast a trans actress, Bethany Black, in series nine, while Bill Potts served as the show’s first openly gay companion in series 10.
Earlier this year, Doctor Who introduced its first black portrayal of the titular Time Lord in its illustrious 57-year history.
The current incarnation of The Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, met a previously-unknown past version of the character, in the form of actress Jo Martin.
This marked two major milestones for the series: the second time a female has played the time travelling extraterrestrial and the first time the character has been black.
Historic: Earlier this year, Doctor Who introduced Jo Martin as its first black portrayal of the titular Time Lord in its illustrious 57-year history (pictured with Jodie Whittaker)
Some fans weren’t sure whether or not Jo’s appearance meant what it implied – but show boss Chris Chibnall has confirmed that this isn’t ‘a trick’.
He told The Mirror: ‘The important thing to say is – she is definitively The Doctor. There’s not a sort of parallel universe going on, there’s no tricks. Jo Martin is The Doctor.’
Chris noted that the Top Boy star was credited in the same way John Hurt was credited when he appeared as another previously-unseen incarnation, who cropped up during the 50th anniversary special The Day Of The Doctor in 2013.
‘That’s why we gave her the credit at the end which all new Doctors have the first time you see them. John Hurt got that credit,’ he explained.