“You couldn’t say you fancied someone and you couldn’t say you loved Doctor Who”: Russell T. Davies on the parallels between his sexuality and his hit series, which aired the first same-sex kiss

Russell T Davies has revealed the connection between his sexuality and his long-time love of Doctor Who – after the series made history with the first same-sex kiss.

The screenwriter, who originally served as showrunner for the 2005 reboot of Doctor Who and is now returning for the new generation, said that as a teenager he kept quiet about his homosexuality and his love of the space series.

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, he said: “Being gay was ‘the love that dare not speak its name’ and Doctor Who at the time had that quality too. You couldn’t say you liked someone and you couldn’t say you loved Doctor Who.”

While the other teenagers he knew gave up science fiction and instead played football and tried to get the attention of girls, Russell said he “just sat there quietly, unable to express who I was until I grew up and still watched Doctor Who.”

Russell has created some of Britain’s best shows centered on the stories of LGBTQ+ people, including It’s a Sin and Queer as Folk.

But Doctor Who has an LGBT fan base that existed before Russell’s involvement in the series.

In 1995, a member of the Sisterhood of Karn, a Doctor Who LGBT society, suggested that the show’s large gay fan base was because it was always cheesy.

He said: “It’s very anti-establishment… the programme has never been openly heterosexual and it’s incredibly campy… all these incredibly vampy outfits.”

The director of the show’s very first episode was Waris Hussein, a gay man, which Russell called a “huge victory.”

And to go one step further, Doctor Who made history on Saturday night when the first same-sex kiss was broadcast.

Fans praised the “electrifying chemistry” between Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff as they shared a smooch – a groundbreaking gesture for the show, which began in 1963.

Episode six of the series was dedicated to a historical topic: The Doctor (Ncuti) and his companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) take a trip to the year 1813.

While attending a ball in Bath, England, the duo cross paths with a handsome bounty hunter named Rogue (Jonathan) as they try to track down the shapeshifting Chuldurs who are murdering the guests.

Initially, the Doctor and Rogue accuse each other of being the killer after realizing that neither of them is from the Regency era or Earth.

After convincing the bounty hunter that he is actually a Time Lord from Gallifrey, the two work together to find the Chuldur.

As the episode progressed, the couple flirted and shocked the guests with same-sex ballroom dancing. First, they decided to stage a scandal to bring the Chuldur to light.

Her plan called for Rogue to get down on one knee and propose to the Doctor after he exclaimed, “Tell me what your heart desires, or I will turn my back on you forever.”

In the final moments, the trio realise that they are not just looking for a murderer, but an entire Chuldur family. Unfortunately, this becomes clear to both the Doctor and Rogue when it is too late for Ruby.

In the emotional final scene, the Doctor is in tears as he struggles with the thought of sacrificing his best friend Ruby to save the world.

“Can you lose your friend to save the world?” Rogue asked the Doctor as Ruby stood next to the Chuldurs in a triple form.

“Doctor! Press send!” he shouted.

The doctor countered: “I can’t do that. That will send Ruby straight to hell!”

In an unexpected turn of events, Rogue sacrificed herself, pushing Ruby out of the way and replacing her with herself in triple form, but not before giving the Doctor a kiss.

“Find me,” Rogue whispered before disappearing into the void.

Following the episode, fans took to social media to share their excitement, with one posting to X: “Rogue, the subject of the episode title, delivers electrifying chemistry as Jonathan Groff and Ncuti Gatwa pass the ball to each other in flawless coordination, a finely tuned, choreographed battle of intelligence, charm and sexual tension.”

Others agreed: “Okay, I need Rogue to return because I really need to see him and the Doctor more, their chemistry is amazing and their connection is undeniable.”; “Well that was just wonderful! So clever! I really hope we see more of Rogue. Great chemistry.”

“Loved Rogue #DoctorWho and can we please see Jonathan Groff again soon?”; “I NEED Rogue as a recurring character in Doctor Who!”; “I would so, so, so love to see Jonathan Groff back here.”; “Rogue reminds me of Captain Jack Harkness. The Doctor is in love.”

Ncuti is the first queer Doctor Who and the first black Time Lord in an entire series.

These include the Victorian couple Jenny Flint and Madame Vastra (Catrin Stewart and Neve McIntosh), the trans woman Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble and Jack Harkness from “Torchwood”, played by John Barrowman, the first openly non-heterosexual character in the franchise.

Ncuti told Variety: “I think if anyone has a problem with this character being played by anyone other than a straight white man, then they’re not a real fan of the show. They haven’t seen it!”

He continued: “Because the show is about regeneration and the Doctor is an alien – why would they choose to be just that kind of person?”

Showrunner Russell T. Davies agreed with the actor: “They weren’t exactly the most honest men in the past.”

“You speak of someone who has a lightness and joy about them that, to me, resonates with queer energy.”

“It’s very rare that the story is pushed forward with any force, but there are moments when it’s explored. We’re not delivering a castrated doctor.”