'Doctor Who' star Varada Sethu defends 'woke' criticism
What's the story
Varada Sethu, the newest star of the iconic British television series Doctor Who, defended the show's inclusive approach.
Sethu, who plays the Doctor's latest companion Belinda Chandra, took a shot at critics of the series who claim it has become too "woke."
In an interview with Radio Times, she added that such criticism indicates the show is on the right track.
Response
'Woke just means inclusive, progressive'
Despite having faced some backlash for her casting in Doctor Who, Sethu is unfazed.
"There's been a couple of Doctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we're doing the right thing if we're getting comments like that," she said.
"Woke just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love, and doing the right thing."
Milestone
Sethu's milestone in 'Doctor Who'
The next episodes of Doctor Who, airing next month, will see Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa as the first-ever Tardis team made up entirely of people of color.
Looking back at this historic moment, Sethu told Radio Times, "Ncuti was like, 'Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We're going to piss off so many people.'"
Journey
Sethu's journey to 'Doctor Who'
Sethu, who was born in India and moved to the UK at a young age, has previously starred in shows like Annika and Strike Back.
She made her debut in Doctor Who last year, portraying a different character in the episode Boom.
Showrunner Russell T Davies noticed Sethu and Gatwa's on-screen chemistry, which contributed to her casting as a companion.
Episodes
'Doctor Who' episodes are 'bright and energetic'
Sethu described the new Doctor Who episodes as "bright and energetic" and revealed that one episode, The Interstellar Song Contest, even features a cameo from TV personality Rylan Clark.
She also opened up about taking on such a high-pressure role on British television. "I was dropped into [filming] within two weeks of being told I had it. So a lot of the confusion and stress that [Belinda is] going through is the confusion and stress that I was going through."