Your new companion is… Pearl Mackie

It’s been a long wait, but following the departure of Jenna Coleman, the Doctor’s newest companion has been announced. And it’s none other than actor and singer Pearl Mackie.

pearl mackie

The news was revealed during the half-time interval of the FA Cup Semi-Final on 23 April at 6:15pm GMT (24 April 3:15am AEST). Speculation went into overdrive in the 24 hours or so leading up to the announcement, with Mackie hotly tipped to take on the role.

But just who is Pearl Mackie? Hailing from South London, she trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2010. She is currently performing in the National Theatre’s West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, which was visited by Peter Capaldi shortly before the announcement was made.

In a first for a new companion, we’ve been given a glimpse of what her character will be like in a specially shot trailer for Series 10, which introduces the character as “Bill”. Facing off against the Daleks, she comes across as smart, funny, full of attitude and more than capable of asking the right questions.

Of course there’ll be plenty more to learn about Bill when she arrives on our screens proper in 2017.