Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa reveals he doesn't know who the next Doctor will be
"I just don't know who the next Doctor Who is, but it's certainly not me."
The end of the most recent Doctor Who episode, The Reality War, saw a surprise regeneration, as Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor gave his life to save Poppy, his and Belinda's daughter from an alternate version of reality.
In a major twist, emerging from the regeneration came Billie Piper, who previously played the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's companion Rose. While this would usually suggest Piper would be playing the next Doctor, there have been some clues this may not be the case.
The credits to the episode did not introduce Piper as "The Doctor" - a staple for the series. This had led fans to wonder whether she may instead be playing Rose once more, who has somehow body swapped with the Doctor, or whether something else entirely is going on.
Now, as he promotes his new play Born With Teeth, Gatwa has admitted that even he doesn't know who will be playing the next Doctor - perhaps strengthening suggestions that it is not Piper.
When pressed on whether he had finished playing the Doctor, he told Nick Robinson on the Today programme: "I've finished playing Doctor Who, we all saw the gold sparkle - or did we, I don't know? I just don't know who the next Doctor Who is, but it's certainly not me."
Read more:
- Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker reveals regret about how she played Thirteenth Doctor
- Doctor Who writer reveals how Jon Pertwee helped shape his Bookish detective
Gatwa isn't the only former Doctor who doesn't know what's going on with Piper's return. Fifth Doctor star Peter Davison told Starburst magazine: "I don’t know what Billie Piper is doing. I have just read about it, and I don’t know what it’s about. It’s a completely mad idea.
"I don’t think she is the Doctor. I think it’s kind of just a hand grenade thrown into the final episode to try and go, 'Whoa, what’s this?' And then it’s almost like, 'Get out of that.'"
By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Of course, the question right now isn't just who will play the Sixteenth Doctor, but whether and when Doctor Who will return to our screens at all.
A decision has yet to be confirmed regarding whether the BBC's co-production deal with Disney for the series will be renewed, and if it isn't, what that will mean for the show going forward.
However, in the meantime, fans do have new spin-off show The War Between the Land and the Sea to look forward to.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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.
