Doctor Who is “doing the right thing” if people think it is too woke, its new star has claimed.

Varada Sethu will take on the role of the Doctor’s companion, alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Time Lord.

“Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to p--- off so many people’,” Sethu told Radio Times, referring to their skin colour.

“There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that.

“‘Woke’ just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”

Sethu, 32, appeared in the last series in a guest role, playing an Anglican Marine called Mundy Flynn in the war-themed Boom episode.

Showrunner Russell T Davies thought Sethu and Gatwa had so much on-screen chemistry, he cast her as Belinda Chandra, the new companion.