British actor Rebecca Root has become the first openly transgender person to play a companion in Doctor Who. She will feature in an upcoming episode of the Big Finish audio drama.

While the TV show changes the actor in the titular character, the audio drama brings back some of the former actors like Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor (1996). 

Rebecca will be playing the role of Tania Bell in the new episode Standard, which has Paul as the Doctor. 

About her role, Rebecca is quoted as saying, "She’s a person like all the other people I have played and hope to play in the future. She’s not perfect, but she’s not a mess, and certainly, I don’t think her gender identity has any influence on her behavior in the story."

This move has been welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community as a step forward in propagating diversity and representation.