Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa reveals his biggest regret about his time on the show
There are two iconic villains that Gatwa wishes he had faced off against.
Ncuti Gatwa made a surprise departure from Doctor Who earlier this year, with his incarnation of the Time Lord regenerating after just two seasons.
During that time, the Doctor fought a number of new and classic villains, with returning foes including Sutekh, the Midnight entity, the Rani and Omega.
However, Gatwa has now revealed his biggest regret from his time on Doctor Who – and for anyone who's listened to interviews with the star over the past few years, it may not come as a surprise.
When asked about his one regret on The One Show, he said: "I never got to fight a Dalek. A Dalek or a Cyberman. I mean, just the crux of Doctor Who. So, might do that! Might go fight a Dalek!"
Early in 2024, Gatwa said that he would be "so angry" if he never got to face the Daleks, adding: "What on earth would be the point of me being Doctor Who without facing a Dalek!"
He is one of only two Doctors not to have faced off against them on screen, along with Paul McGann, who has battled them many times in audio dramas.
Both have, however, appeared in TV episodes featuring them in some form, with McGann making a cameo appearance in The Power of the Doctor, and a Dalek appearing briefly in The Reality War, although not in a scene with Gatwa.
There is, of course, still a chance we could see Gatwa face off against a Dalek or a Cyberman in the future. While he has been very clear that his time on the show is finished, when asked if he could make a return at some point as many Doctors have over the years, he simply replied: "Never say never."
Gatwa was appearing on The One Show to promote his new West End play Born with Teeth, about William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Gatwa, who plays Marlowe, said that it focuses on "two male artists of a similar age", so there is "a lot of jealousy, a lot of tension in that room, thus the play".
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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.
