Torchwood fans have mourned the removal of a shrine for much-loved character Ianto Jones, while also hinting at a twist for the future.
The shrine was built by fans of the Doctor Who spin-off show to commemorate Ianto – who became one of sci-fi TV’s most popular LGBTQ+ characters following his romance with Jack Harkness – after he was killed-off in 2009.
But last month, it was revealed that the tribute – located in Cardiff Bay (the location of Torchwood HQ) – was being taken down due to maintenance works.
In a joint Instagram post on Monday (20 April), actor Gareth David-Lloyd, who played Jones in the series, and local artist Nathan Wyburn and his long-time collaborator Wayne Courtney, wrote: “And with that… IANTO’S SHRINE comes to an end… or does it? Follow @nathanwyburnart for the NEXT STEP! 👀 @gdavidlloyd @mermaidquay @mattbotten.”
The post was accompanied by photos of fans standing in front of the shrine.
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Torchwood, which followed Captain Jack Harkness and a team of alien-hunters protecting the world, aired between 2006 and 2001 and amassed a cult following among sci-fans.
Ianto was introduced in the very first episode of the show, and went from having a minor role in the series to becoming Captain Jack’s love interest, before he was tragically killed off in Children of Earth.
Fans were quick to praise the pair as a refreshing example of positive LGBTQ+ relationships.
Speaking about the impact his storyline has had on fans, David-Lloyd recently told Radio Times: “I’ve had a few experiences where fans have come up, and they’ve been quite emotional.”
He added: “And they’ve said that Jack and Ianto’s relationship helped them accept who they were, and come out to their parents or feel that they’re given the power to own themselves. I think maybe that has a lot to do with [why Ianto is still so loved], with that sort of relationship being so forefront in a major primetime TV show.
Speaking about how the storyline was “quite a unique relationship to put at the forefront of a primetime show” at the time, he added: “And I think maybe that had something to do with it, and people felt connected to it on a deeply personal level, because it spoke to them personally.
“That’s my main theory as to the longevity of the shrine and the attention and the love that Ianto still gets.”
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
