Doctor Who season 10: Pearl Mackie’s Bill Potts to be openly gay

When Doctor Who season 10 premieres in a matter of just over two weeks, there is one thing that may surprise you very much about Pearl Mackie and her character of Bill: Her sexuality.

Speaking to the BBC in a new interview, Mackie for the first time addressed this facet of her character, which is something that hadn’t been teased much in some of the previous previews that are out there for the show at the moment.

“Bill’s gay. It shouldn’t be a big deal in the 21st century. It’s about time isn’t it? That representation is important, especially on a mainstream show… It’s important to say people are gay, people are black. There are also aliens in the world as well, so watch out for them.

“… [Being gay] is not the main thing that defines her character. It’s something that’s part of her and something that she’s very happy and very comfortable with.”

While Bill Potts’ sexuality is important to note, it’s not as though Doctor Who as a series has shied away from LGBTQ representation ever since the revived version of the series began. Look towards Captain Jack (John Barrowman) as one example of this. Meanwhile, you can say the same exact thing about River Song, who is bisexual on the series. Sexuality’s never been an issue on the series — in addition to that, it’s not all that often that we really see romance play all that big of a role in anything, either. This is a show that does have a tendency to have enough stuff going on that there is not much time to focus on love lives. We did get it a little bit with Clara Oswald, so maybe we are going to get an opportunity or two to explore Bill’s … even if it is not the most dominant part of the season.

Based on some of the comments that are out there in the BBC report, Bill’s sexuality will be noted pretty early on during Doctor Who season 10, even if it is not considered one of the central aspects of the overall story.

Earlier today, we discussed another key facet of the series — Peter Capaldi’s departure at the end of the season. Head over here to read a little bit about some of the love that David Tennant and Matt Smith reportedly handed down to the current Doctor after he announced the news.

Be sure to share your thoughts on this story in the comments! (Photo: BBC.)