Mandip Gill teases Thasmin development in Doctor Who’s next special
“You asked for it, and here it is.”
After years of speculation, Doctor Who’s New Year Special Eve of the Daleks confirmed that longstanding series companion Yaz (played by Mandip Gill) had romantic feelings for the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), following plenty of hints that the pair could become more than just friends.
Many fans on the internet more or less exploded with excitement, and it looks like they have plenty to look forward to – while speaking to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party, Gill confirmed that the upcoming Easter special would continue the popular storyline.
“Yes,” Gill told us when asked if the Doctor/Yaz romance would be addressed. “That's where I think the heart [of the special] is, the understanding, the emotion that [showrunner Chris Chibnall] is so good at writing.
“So I won't tell you which way it goes, but we obviously have to touch upon that again – it wouldn't make sense not to.”
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Still, Gill also noted that it wasn’t the main drive of the episode, which primarily focuses on the Doctor and friends’ attempts to face off with pirates and classic Who monsters The Sea Devils.
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“I mean, that's in the midst of everything else that's going on,” she said. “And you know, the sword fight with the Sea Devils and all that kind of stuff.”
Following the New Year’s special, Gill noted that she hadn’t been particularly surprised by the effusive fan reaction, having seen viewers discuss the possibility of a Doctor/Yaz romance for years and in some depth.
“It was massive. But you know what, I'd seen a lot of stuff on social media. So I'd seen people's reaction to that,” she told us.
“I'd seen people building that up way before it was on screen and whatnot. So it kind of... it came naturally. It weren't this thing that had been discovered on screen and then all of a sudden the fans saw it. It was part and parcel.
“I'd seen fan art of that happening, I'd seen people talking about it, I'd seen people had rewritten like storylines and all that stuff. So we're like, ‘OK, you asked for it. And here it is.’
“It was always exciting,” she added. “Seeing it was exciting. Seeing it play out was exciting.”
Altogether, it sounds like fans invested in this nascent relationship will have something to savour in Legend of the Sea Devils. Though with just one episode starring Whittaker and Gill left to air after it, it might be rather a fleeting romance...
Enjoy more chats with the stars at the Radio Times Covers Party 2022 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 5th April – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 17th April. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
