Heartstopper’s Kit Connor has a major link with Doctor Who – and fans are gagged

Kit Connor in a grey polo shirt (left) and a promotional image for the 60th anniversary specials of Doctor Who (right).

Fans are just learning that Heartstopper star Kit Connor has a big connection to the Doctor Who universe, and the shock is real.

While the 19-year-old is now best known for his role as rugby lad Nick Nelson in Alice Oseman’s cute queer teen drama Heartstopper, the actor seemingly got his big break in 2013 docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time.

The biographical film, which was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, is a dramatised version of how the beloved British sci-fi series came to be.

It stars former Doctor Who leads including Harry Potter actor David Bradley as the First Doctor, originally played by the late William Hartnell. Succession star Brian Cox plays Sydney Newman, the series’ co-creator.

However, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, an eight-year-old Kit Connor plays a young boy called Charlie, who can be seen watching the Daleks on the TV.

The small cameo was his very first acting credit.

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Last week, a revamped version of An Adventure in Space and Time aired on BBC Four, leading a whole new generation of Whovians and Heartstopper lovers to spot Connor’s appearance.

Some fans have gone as far as to demand that Connor, or his Heartstopper co-star Joe Locke, appear in an upcoming Doctor Who series.

On Saturday (25 November), The Star Beast, the first of three Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, aired on BBC One. It feature Heartstopper favourite and Connor’s co-star Yasmin Finney as trans character, Rose Noble.

The trans-positive storyline, which saw Rose Noble literally save the world thanks to the fact that she is trans, was a huge hit with Doctor Who’s long-standing LGBTQ+ fandom.

Upcoming episodes will show David Tennant’s Doctor regenerate, with the fifteenth Doctor set to be played by queer Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa.

In the revamped version of An Adventure in Space and Time, Gatwa appeared at the end alongside the OG First Doctor, William Hartnell. 

The second Doctor Who anniversary special airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 2 December.

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