Doctor Who star Jemma Redgrave shuts down theories about Kate’s sexuality: “That’s never been a discussion"

The War Between the Land and the Sea has given us a glimpse into the life of Doctor Who legend Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), beyond her work at UNIT, confirming her relationship with Colonel Christofer Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient).

It's the first time we've seen Kate in a romantic relationship — although, for years, fans have speculated about her sexuality.

However, actress Redgrave has cleared things up, revealing that, while she once speculated about Kate perhaps being married to a woman in the years before we met her on screen, there has "never been a discussion" with showrunner Russell T Davies, or anyone on the show, about her sexuality.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Redgrave explained: "I think maybe where it came from was a question that I was asked about how she's a divorcee.

"I learned a great deal about her in an earlier episode [Death in Heaven] just from a few lines - she arrives at work in gardening clothes, she's just come off either the allotment or her garden, and wasn't expecting to be called in, and describes herself as a mother, as a divorcee, a mother of two, and an outstanding bridge player.

"So I knew that she was divorced, and I think I speculated that maybe she was in the same sex relationship. But it wasn't any discussion that I ever had with anybody else. It was just things that I was mulling around about where she was in her life at that particular point."

Redgrave and Devrient also recently opened up about the romance between Kate and Colonel Ibrahim being confirmed.

"I think the conflict for her is the thing that struck me about the relationship…. I don't believe that she thinks [the relationship] has a future because of the age difference, because of the power imbalance – but mainly for the age difference," Redgrave pointed out.

"What we discussed was how differently they both felt about it and that being interesting. It's there in the script, it's there in the episodes that Pete [McTighe] and Russell [T Davies] wrote, the deep differences between the way they feel about this relationship and what the future is for both of them."

Meanwhile, Devrient added: "There were a lot of little moments that were placed throughout the seasons [of Doctor Who]. And to be honest with you, we weren't even sure, me and Jemma, whether this was going to go any further or not. Initially, we held back a little bit.

"Obviously, there is the hierarchy element, when you work in a sort of context that we work in within UNIT, that's quite important. There's an important age gap. There are various different factors that meant that this is quite a tricky and risky potential relationship.

"But, in the end, I think also with what Russell wrote and how he wrote it, we just thought, 'Okay, we're going to go for it.' These two, there is something behind that element of stoicism and respect and loyalty and discipline, something really pure and beautiful, a connection that they can't really fight against. Let's just go with that and explore what that looks like when you're in the midst of yet another catastrophe."

The War Between the Land and the Sea continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 14th December.

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