She’s only been on our screens for a couple of months, but she’s already making a name for herself. Today’s birthday girl is new companion Pearl Mackie!
Turning 30 today, Pearl is the bright new star on board the TARDIS alongside Peter Capaldi, succeeding Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald. Pearl’s character, Bill Potts, was introduced on 23rd April last year during the half-time of Match of the Day. And what a spectacular entrance it was! Starring in a specially-made trailer, Friend From The Future, Bill and The Twelfth Doctor exchanged comical banter as they fled from an army of Daleks.
Pearl made her proper debut nearly a whole year later, on 15th April 2017. In her first episode, The Pilot, The Doctor became her personal tutor at Bristol University. The chemistry between the two was immediately obvious, sharing a teacher-student dynamic that hasn’t been seen for a while. She asks all the right (or wrong?) questions, constantly keeping The Doctor on his toes.
“I saw this thing on Netflix. Lizards in people’s brains!”
Bill is also the first openly gay Doctor Who companion. When we first met her, she was in love with Heather, a girl with a star in her eye. But that led to a killer puddle chasing them through time and space. Oops. Since then, Bill has been to the distant past and the far future. She’s seen Emojibots, space zombies, and a serpent under the Thames. Among other monsters, the Ice Warriors and The Master still await her in Series 10…
Believe it or not, Doctor Who is Pearl’s first proper television job. Previously, she performed in the London West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. We’re just excited to see what wild adventures The Doctor and Bill still have in store for them yet!
