Doctor Who reveals roundabout way Ncuti Gatwa did sort of appear in episode with Daleks
The actor once said he would be "so angry" if he never got to face the Doctor's most iconic foes.
Ncuti Gatwa bowed out from Doctor Who in The Reality War, in a surprise regeneration he brought upon himself in order to shift time and save Belinda's daughter, Poppy.
In the episode, the Fifteenth Doctor fought two classic villains, the Rani and Omega, while in previous episodes he also faced off against the Toymaker and Sutekh, both from the classic era, as well as the Midnight entity from the revival.
However, Gatwa never got to take on some of the character's most iconic opponents, including the Cybermen, the Master and, most notably, the Daleks.
Gatwa had previously said that he would be "so angry" if he never got to face them, adding: "What on earth would be the point of me being Doctor Who without facing a Dalek!"
While his wish to take them on never came true, it turns out he did appear in an episode which featured a Dalek - in a roundabout way.
It was revealed in a behind-the-scenes video that a Dalek did appear on set for The Reality War, and that it moved past Steph De Whalley's Anita to set up a sequence where she opens a door to see a clip from 1972 episode Day of the Daleks.
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Pillai explained why the Dalek was used to set up this cut to archive footage, saying: "One of the greatest things ever is to work with a Dalek. Russell [T Davies, showrunner] had written, 'Anita opens a door and finds herself seeing Jon Pertwee in The Day of the Daleks from 1972.'
"So we have a little flashback and I said, 'Well, can we maybe have a Dalek in the foreground to tie it all together?' And everyone said yes. That’s it, that’s my one experience with a Dalek, but it’s a childhood dream come true."
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De Whalley also said she was "full of joy" at getting to see an "actual Dalek", having not found out she would be doing so until getting to set that day.
Gatwa now joins Paul McGann as the only lead actors to have played the Doctor who never battled a Dalek on screen.
Both have appeared in episodes featuring the monsters (The Reality War and The Power of the Doctor respectively), but McGann still outdoes Gatwa on the Dalek front, as he has faced off against them numerous times in audio dramas.
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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.
