Doctor Who: Rakhee Thakrar is Cool, Bad Reporting is Not

There is a rumor that Rakhee Thakrar is being considered for the next companion on Doctor Who. While this would be nice, the way in which the rumor has been reported is frustrating for various reasons… and all too common in the reporting of stories such as this.

Rakhee Thakrar is best known to audiences as Shabnam Masood on EastEnders for the past two years, having just left the show this past February. It has recently been reported by Radio Times that she has been put on the list of possible actors to play the next companion on Doctor Who. Contributing to my continued annoyance with the current state of the media, Radio Times failed to cite a source:

"It is understood that Thakrar . . . is on a list of actresses in the frame to replace Jenna Coleman in the coveted role.According to a source, auditions are poised to begin for the part with Thakrar – who won plaudits from the soap’s producers and fans – in line for an audience with the producers."

The possibility of Thakrar appearing on the show, however, is currently just a rumor:

"Neither the BBC nor Thakrar’s agents would comment on the speculation . . ."

Other sources such as The Mirror and Evening Standard have reported on this story, citing Radio Times without question. The Mirror predictably did not even provide a link.

Thank goodness (sort of) for Daily Express! They actually bothered to mention that:

"Rakhee retweeted a news story back in February listing actresses who could take on the part, which included herself."

… But, of course, there is no link, or a mention of the original source. Well, here it is:

So, let me get this straight. The list of “actresses who could take on the part” was from an opinion piece posted by Radio Times. While it is nice to hear that, by retweeting it, Thakrar is at least showing an interest in being a companion, the way that it is presented by Daily Express is rather misleading.

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Anyway, despite EastEnders being one of the most popular shows in the United Kingdom, I do not believe that I have ever seen a single episode, therefore hold no opinion on it. I am sure that Thakrar is a fine actor and would be happy to see her on Doctor Who.

Since I have nothing more to say on this speculation, I will take this opportunity to talk some more about the way on which celebrities are reported. While commenting on someone’s appearance or age is not necessarily wrong, doing so is frequently and irrelevantly dropped into articles, often using cliche writing… and seemingly most often when talking about women. Here is an example from The Mirror:

"If all goes to plan, the brunette beauty will become the Time Lord’s [Peter Capaldi] new companion.A source told the RadioTimes.com that auditions for the coveted role are taking place now but bosses already have their sights set on snapping up the 32-year-old actress."

Note the tired phrase “brunette beauty.” Anyone who reads these sorts of entertainment articles will have noticed this and similar phrases (such as “blonde bombshell” for Billie Piper) time and time again. Oh look! Here is an excerpt from a 2015 article about Jenna Coleman, also from The Mirror:

"Stunning brunette beauty Jenna, who stars as Dr Who’s assistant Clara Oswald was spotted with Prince Harry at a recent polo match at Ascot’s Coworth Park."

And here is another one about Coleman from the tabloid Daily Mail:

"Whilst she seemed in good spirits, the brunette beauty was no doubt disappointed by the news that Doctor Who lost out to Downton Abbey for Most Popular Drama at the National Television Awards on Wednesday night."

As for the arbitrary mention of age, we see it again in Evening Standard:

"If the 32 year-old actress does end up with the job, she will become the first non-white companion for the Doctor since Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones in 2007."

The only way that it would be worth bringing up her age would be to point out that she fits the traditional age demographic for the Doctor’s companions. At least the vague mention of her ethnicity is relevant, as the topic of such representation is an importantly valid one.

(Article continues below the next post box.)

Next: The Universally Beloved Wilf

While lazy, sensationalist reporting is not new, it is still wrong. We should be holding publications to a higher standard. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.