‘Doctor Who’ Gets More Than 100 Complaints Over “Inappropriate” Transgender Character
The BBC received more than 100 complaints from Doctor Who viewers who argued that the inclusion of Yasmin Finney‘s transgender character Rose was “inappropriate.” The corporation has revealed it had 144 messages from disgruntled viewers in its fortnightly report on audience complaints.
Some said Heartstopper star Finney’s character was “anti-male,” while others said it was an “inappropriate inclusion of [a] transgender character.” The Star Beast special was watched by more than 7.6M people meaning the complainants make up a tiny proportion of the audience.
It is not unusual for the BBC to receive complaints over transgender storylines or reporting, but the corporation will likely stand by the representation of Rose in Doctor Who.
Finney features as the daughter of Shaun and Donna in the 2023 specials. Her family supports her transition, but is depicted by writer Russell T Davies as still coming to terms with her pronouns.
