Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: bbc, chris chibnall, doctor who, pearl mackie
Reports Claim Pearl Mackie Fired From Doctor Who After One Season; BBC Responds, But Doesn't Deny
Just last week, the BBC revealed that Pearl Mackie's character on Doctor Who, Bill, will be the Doctor's first official openly gay companion (though there's a semantic argument to be made for others, like Captain Jack). However, just one week laters, rumors claim that Mackie could be leaving the show after just one season. The report comes from UK tabloid The Sun, which says that Mackie has been "axed" and that the decision is not Mackie's, but a joint one by the BBC and new showrunner Chris Chibnall, who takes over after the upcoming Season 10.
The BBC responded in a statement reported by The Radio Times, saying, "We never reveal the fate of individual characters on the show. Viewers will have to tune in to find out. We are still filming Series 10 and no casting decisions have yet been made on Series 11."
Which, technically, isn't a denial. Though, it should be noted that UK tabloids make roughly 60% of their profits off articles speculating on when actors, showrunners, and crew members will leave Doctor Who, so this one should be taken with a grain of salt.