Doctor Who Reveals First Openly Gay Companion

A character will break down a significant boundary at the beginning of the upcoming season of Doctor Who, and it won't be the Doctor.

According to the BBC, new co-star Pearl Mackie will portray the Doctor's first openly gay companion. Her character, "Bill," will promptly introduce herself as gay in the opening moments of Season 10.

"It shouldn't be a big deal in the 21st Century," Mackie said. "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."

Although the show has featured gay or bisexual characters before, like Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and River Song (Alex Kingston), none have served as the Doctor's official companion.

But Mackie said her character's sexuality should not be the only thing that matters. "I remember watching TV as a young mixed race girl not seeing many people who looked like me, so I think being able to visually recognize yourself on screen is important," she said. "[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."

It'll be a season of transitions for the show. Showrunner Steven Moffat will step down after Season 10, as will star Peter Capaldi. Meanwhile, the search for a new Doctor is still on.

The upcoming season premieres April 15. Until then, take a look at the untold truth of Doctor Who.