Pearl Mackie has come out as bisexual.
The former ‘Doctor Who’ actress – who appeared on the programme alongside Peter Capaldi’s Time Lord in 2017 – played the show’s first-ever female LGBTQ+ companion Bill Potts, and she has opened up about her own sexuality in an emotional social media post.
Taking to Instagram to celebrate Pride Month, she wrote: "Proud to be bisexual. Proud to be Black.
"Proud of all my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters and everyone in between.
"We matter. You matter. Big love and nuff respect. Happy Pride everyone! (sic)"
The 33-year-old star’s fans flooded her post with messages of support.
One follower wrote: "as if i didnt love bill potts enough already, knowing she was played by an LGBTQ+ actress makes me so so happy love u pearl!!! (sic)"
Another commented: "I’ll never forget confiding in you and thanking you for representing bill in doctor who and making queer women feel heard.
"You are an amazing role model, from one bi woman to another. (sic)"
Pearl previously opened up on her role as Bill, and admitted she wasn’t in any rush to reprise the part just yet.
She explained: "I think I need more time, to be honest. I still feel quite close to Bill.
"I need to miss her before I want to play her again, you know?
"I think I need to [do that] and find a way to add to her story before wanting to go back and play her again."
Pearl admitted she will always be proud of her time on the show, and in particular the response to Bill, who was the show’s first openly gay main companion.
She said: "This has happened a few times subsequently, but I’ll always remember when a girl came up to me to say that she identified with Bill so much that it enabled her to come out to her family and without me she wouldn’t have been able to do that.
"That’s not something that I ever dreamed to do as an actress, but if I’m able to give support, even in a secondary way, to a community that is marginalised then that’s wonderful and that is a fantastic gift to me."