Doctor Who star Yasmin Finney has admitted she found one scene in the show’s recent anniversary special particularly triggering.
The Heartstopper actor joined the Whoniverse for the episode The Star Beast, which aired on Saturday night.
In the special, Yasmin joined returning stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate as Rose, the daughter of fan favourite character Donna Noble.
Early on in the episode, viewers see that Rose – who, like Yasmin, is trans – is being bullied by some of her peers, which she revealed during companion show Doctor Who: Unleashed brought back memories from her own past.
“It did bring back some PTSD for me,” she shared. “I think, sadly, my high school experience was a lot of bullying and a lot of defending myself and having to put on a brave face when I entered the school doors.”
Yasmin continued: “[The episode] didn’t go too much into the bullying, it just grazed it a little bit and it added a little bit of reality into Rose’s life and what it’s like to be a trans person.
“I think we did it beautifully and it wasn’t too much. But it showed she’s still struggling. She still gets deadnamed.”
Meanwhile, returning Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies said he deliberately included scenes of Rose being bullied to make young people reconsider how they treat their schoolmates.
“Those boys on bikes are watching Doctor Who. I hope they watch it and think ‘oh, maybe I shouldn’t do that, maybe that’s wrong’,” he said.
Doctor Who: Unleashed also featured exclusive footage of Miriam Margolyes recording her lines as new character The Meep, which proved to be every bit as brilliant as you’d expect from the Bafta winner and national treasure.
The second of three Doctor Who anniversary specials featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate will air on Saturday night.
Help and support:
- The Gender Trust supports anyone affected by gender identity | 01527 894 838
- Mermaids offers information, support, friendship and shared experiences for young people with gender identity issues | 0808 801 0400
- LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest youth and community-based organisation for LGBT people in Scotland. Text 07786 202 370
- Gires provides information for trans people, their families and professionals who care for them | 01372 801554
- Depend provides support, advice and information for anyone who knows, or is related to, a transsexual person in the UK