Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu address being Doctor Who's first non-white TARDIS duo
Gatwa says the arrival of the Doctor and Belinda marks important "progress" for the BBC series.
It's been a fixture on television for more than 60 years, but the latest season of Doctor Who marks an important first for the series, as it will feature two non-white leads for the first time in the show's history.
Joining Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor will be Varada Sethu as new companion Belinda Chandra, with the pair battling nefarious forces across time and space as a mysterious force seeks to prevent Belinda's return to Earth.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the launch of the new season, both Gatwa and Sethu addressed their casting and its importance in the context of Doctor Who's past.
"It means... I guess progress, in terms of how we reflect the societies that we live in," Gatwa said.
"That's something incredible that media can do, and that's what it's doing. But it's also exciting to look forward to a day when [having non-white leads] isn't something huge."
Sethu echoed her co-star's comments, saying: "[When] it's not something that we have to talk about – and every single thing that we do that gets us a step closer to that day I think is amazing."
Speaking at a Q&A that followed a screening of season premiere The Robot Revolution, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies suggested that inclusive portrayals on-screen are not something the production team consciously thinks about – it's simply reflecting the world we all live in.
"It's just like breathing – that's just life," he said. "It's like opening your front door and there is the world. There's nothing special or unique about that, although there is something important about that, to open that door and show the world, and then you see yourself on television...
"You feel visible, you feel seen. And that's a better day. That's a wonderful thing to do."
Joining Gatwa and Sethu in the new season of Doctor Who will be a returning Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday – though it's still unclear how large a role Gibson will play in forthcoming episodes.
"I don't know how much I can say, but [she appears] a lot... enough to feel the love from [Ruby], as always!" the star told RadioTimes.com.
Doctor Who will air from Saturday 12th April at 6:50pm on BBC One, with new episodes available from 8am on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The series will be available on Disney+ outside of the UK.
Read more:
- Doctor Who season 15 gets 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of return
- Doctor Who showrunner explains why he’s moving away from classic monsters – but confirms "nods"
- Doctor Who boss confirms Mrs Flood will return every episode – compares her to Susan Twist
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across the brand's digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.
