Pearl Mackie teases emotional and exciting Doctor Who Christmas special and says “never say never” to a return for Bill
"Have a box of tissues close at hand," warns the actor who plays departing companion Bill Potts - but is this the last we've seen of her?
The final farewell of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, the departure of well-loved companion Bill Potts, the groundbreaking introduction of the first ever female Doctor – the signs were always there.
But just in case you were in any doubt, Pearl Mackie can confirm that, yes, this is indeed going to be an emotional Doctor Who Christmas special…
“I’d say have a box of tissues close at hand,” Mackie tells RadioTimes.com. “As to be expected: it’s Peter’s last episode as the Doctor and my last episode as well.”
But is it? Given that Mackie’s character Bill had supposedly made her last appearance at the end of series ten – only to be handed a comeback in the special immediately afterwards – should we even trust that this is the last we’ll see of her?
“One of the wonderful things about Doctor Who is that the world of possibilities is endless,” teases Mackie, "so I guess, never say never…”
It’s not all about tearful goodbyes anyway – Mackie says there’s plenty of positivity in the Christmas special too.
“There’s new beginnings – you’ve got new beginnings with [next Doctor] Jodie Whittaker – it’s a great adventure with two Doctors, it’s going to be very exciting, it’s going to be a lovely episode.”
It sounds like Christmas can’t come soon enough for Doctor Who fans. If only we had a time machine…
Pearl Mackie will star in The Birthday Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London from Tuesday 9th January to Saturday 14th April 2018
Tickets are on sale now from £15, with over 20,000 seats under £30