Another Rose? Here’s the deal.

By Louise Griffin

Published: Thursday, 23 November 2023 at 12:28 PM

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It’s been more than a decade, but we’re finally set to be reunited with the Noble family – as Catherine Tate’s Donna returns to Doctor Who in the 60th anniversary specials.

We didn’t only get to know Donna when she met David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor in season 4, as she came as a package deal with no-nonsense mum Sylvia (Jacqueline King) and loveable granddad Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins).

Now, the Noble family has only grown, with the revelation that Shaun Temple (Karl Collins) is officially part of the Noble clan – and that he and Donna share a daughter, Rose, played by Yasmin Finney, who joins the cast in The Star Beast.

Here’s everything you need to know about Yasmin Finney’s Rose.

Who is Rose Noble in Doctor Who? Yasmin Finney character explained

Rose is Shaun and Donna’s teenage daughter, and has only ever known her mum in the aftermath of her adventures with the Doctor, following Donna’s memory being erased.

It’s clear she gets caught up in the action, though, with Finney being spotted filming scenes with Tennant after the Doctor somehow comes back into the Noble family’s lives.

Finney previously confirmed that her character is trans, speaking at London Trans+ Pride earlier this year, aiming her remarks at former prime minister Boris Johnson.

She said: “How many of you have seen Doctor Who? Yeah, because that is also a moment and that is also a show where my character is trans so, Boris, I hope you see Heartstopper, I hope you see Doctor Who, because I exist, and I know you know I exist.

“We all exist, and we’re not going anywhere! Period.”

We’ve still got a lot to find out about Rose but, if she’s anything like her mum, it’s going to be quite the journey to remember.

Does Yasmin Finney’s character reference Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler?

BBC

Of course, Doctor Who fans were quick to notice that Finney’s character shares a name with the very first companion of the modern era of Doctor Who, Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.

Is that a reference? We don’t know yet. Fans have speculated that, even though Donna doesn’t remember her meeting with Rose in season 4, something in her subconscious signalled that the name is important.

Finney has addressed the name’s importance within Doctor Who, previously saying: “It’s obviously got a lot of history, hasn’t it? To play a character with such history, even just the name, you’ve got that pressure instantly that I didn’t have with [Heartstopper role] Elle.

“It was a complete mind-blowing experience when I got cast. I can’t really relive it because I was so in the moment. At first, [the show] had a code name, and then I found out what the show was and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve just been cast in Doctor Who.’”

She added: “It’s a trans character as well, and it’s such a blessing as well to be able to play such a monumental character like Rose.”

Who is Rose Noble actress Yasmin Finney?

BBC Studios 2023, Alistair Heap

Outside of Doctor Who, Finney is best known for her role as Elle in Heartstopper. Doctor Who is her second big role after the Netflix series, with showrunner Russell T Davies previously revealing he asked advice from Doctor Who director Euros Lyn, who had also directed Finney in Heartstopper.

Speaking about Finney’s casting at the premiere of The Star Beast, Davies explained: “It’s not just a Doctor Who thing for me, it’s something I and a lot of other writers are very keen to do, to be progressive and to just reflect more of society.

“And it’s funny, in casting Yasmin, there’s very few people we could have cast, and it’s like a light came down from heaven and there she was – before Heartstopper, actually.

“It was just so powerfully meant to be, and I think she does the most amazing job and it’s an absolute privilege to work with her to get her on screen.”