Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney says her Doctor Who role "will change the world"

Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney has said her Doctor Who role will be groundbreaking.

The actress is joining in three 2023 anniversary specials, playing the mysterious role of Rose along with David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble.

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Speaking to Vogue, Finney said that a show like Doctor Who casting a trans actress in such a major role will "change the world".

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"I'm happy to be the representation on a show that means a lot to so many," she added.

When Yasmin was cast, producer Russell T Davies offered hints about this Rose character: "Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set.

"We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world – and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!"

Long-time fans will remember that Billie Piper also played a character called Rose when Davies restarted Doctor Who back in 2005.

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The anniversary specials will also feature How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris, seemingly as the villain. Many have theorised he could be playing classic series villain the Toymaker but the BBC has yet to confirm this.

These 2023 episodes will feature The Doctor trying to figure out why he'd regenerated into his Tenth incarnation's physical form once again – his former companion Donna may hold the key to this mystery.

Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.