Bill Potts: podcast appearances and interviews

Billie 'Bill' Potts is a fictional character in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is portrayed by Pearl Mackie and served as a companion of the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi. Introduced in the tenth series, she is depicted as a canteen worker at St Luke's University in Bristol who becomes the Doctor's student after impressing him with her curiosity. Her character was created by Steven Moffat to succeed Clara Oswald as the Doctor's companion and is notable for being the series' first openly gay companion. Bill’s storyline includes encounters with various alien threats, and she experiences significant events such as being converted into a Cyberman, retaining her humanity, and transforming into an oil-like being to travel the universe with Heather, who she was romantically interested in. The character also appears in the online minisode 'The Best of Days' (2020). Mackie’s portrayal of Bill was well received by critics, with her character being described as a refreshing addition to the series. She was conceived as an inquisitive, non-white woman with a student-teacher dynamic with the Doctor, and her role offered representation in terms of diversity and sexuality within the series. Her departure from the series garnered mixed reactions, but her impact as a character remained notable.