Doctor Who finale script sheds new light on Ncuti Gatwa's surprise regeneration into Billie Piper
It remains a mystery just how and why the Doctor appeared to regenerate to have the same face as his former companion, Rose.
To mark Doctor Who Day yesterday (23rd November) – the anniversary of the date on which the show originally debuted back in 1963 – all eight scripts from the sci-fi series' most recent season have been released online.
Naturally, one moment that fans have immediately scrolled through to is the very end of episode 8, The Reality War, to see how the script talks about Ncuti Gatwa's shock regeneration into Billie Piper.
The moment, which came as a huge surprise for fans at the end of the finale, was made all the more intriguing because the credits of the episode didn't refer to Piper – who previously played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler – as the Doctor, and it has never been confirmed since.
That tradition continues in The Reality War's script, with Gatwa's regeneration being described as follows: "Regeneration energy volcanoes out of him!
"Collar and sleeves filled with streaming bolts of gold. Wider. The Tardis in space, the Doctor in the doorway, with energy shooting out into the galaxy, a wild display. Closer, as the Doctor's face finally vanishes into the gold.
"And... A face appears! A person wreathed in miraculous gold and light. Who says... 'Oh, hello!'"
The fact that Piper is only described as "a face" and a "person" only reaffirms many fans' belief that Piper won't be playing the 16th Doctor, and there will instead be some other timey-wimey shenanigans which will be addressed in the now-confirmed 2026 Christmas special.
It's also interesting that Piper isn't referred to by name at all.
This may have been to avoid spoilers leaking out, although Piper has said she was approached "very last-minute" about appearing in the scene.
That special will be written by showrunner Russell T Davies, and will be the first episode of the show to air following the end of the BBC's production and distribution deal with Disney for the programme.
When news of the special was confirmed, Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC said in a statement: "We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea.
"The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026.
"We can assure fans the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC."
The War Between the Land and the Sea, a new five-part Doctor Who spin-off, is set to start airing on 7th December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
A number of figures connected with the show, both past and present, have now reacted to Gatwa's regeneration into Piper, with former showrunner Steven Moffat being among them.
Earlier this year, he told RadioTimes.com: "I genuinely don’t have any insider information, but they have hedged their bets. They've not said [she’s the Doctor] so I don’t know. I don’t even know if they know!"
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
