"we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments"
According to Varada Sethu, Doctor Who is “doing the right thing” if critics think it is too woke.
Varada, the new companion, will join Ncuti Gatwa’s Time Lord in the upcoming series.
The pairing marks the first time a Tardis team will comprise solely people of colour and Varada addressed the criticism about the show’s direction.
Referring to their skin colour, Varada said:
“Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to p*** off so many people’.
“There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that.
“‘Woke’ just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”
Varada Sethu had a guest role in the last series, playing a completely different character in the war-themed Boom episode.
Showrunner Russell T Davies was so impressed with her chemistry with Ncuti that he cast her as Belinda Chandra, the new companion.
She said Belinda would be more than just a sidekick.
Varada said: “We really are equals in the way that we interact with each other.
“Russell wanted someone who can push back and not be in awe of this all-powerful being.”
She added that Belinda is “the main character of her own story”.
Born to Indian doctors who moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, Varada Sethu won the Miss Newcastle contest at 18 “to p*** off my mum” after being scouted in a shopping centre.
She said: “The pageant world doesn’t align with my values.
“But it did give me the confidence to throw myself into acting.”
Varada initially studied veterinary science but switched to physiology to focus on acting. Before Doctor Who, she was best known for her role in Star Wars spin-off Andor.
Meanwhile, speculation has surrounded Ncuti Gatwa’s future, with rumours that he may leave after the second series.
Disney is reportedly unhappy with the show’s ratings.
Russell T Davies has faced criticism for focusing too much on identity politics.
In 2024, he admitted audience figures “might not be the ratings we love” but said the show was popular with younger viewers.
He said: “I was brought back in to bring in a youthful audience. That’s been massively successful. Those figures are astronomic for Doctor Who.”
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