Ncuti Gatwa jokes about Doctor Who regeneration into Billie Piper: "I don't understand it either"

Ncuti Gatwa took on the role of host in this week's final episode of SNL UK season 1, and as might be expected he made multiple references to his time on Doctor Who.

After a teaser sketch earlier in the week saw him in a regeneration parody, Gatwa kicked off the episode proper with the traditional monologue, in which he joked about his shock departure from the BBC show.

"It was genuinely a magical role," Gatwa said of playing the Doctor. "In fact, it was the first time my parents were truly proud of my career. When I told them I got the part they said, 'Finally! A doctor in the family!'

"And even though I have since regenerated into Billie Piper - I don't understand it either - I still love Doctor Who and I got to meet so many crazy characters; sort of a bit like this place."

You can watch the full monologue, in which he also joked that only "about 12 of you watched me in Doctor Who", below.

Ever since Gatwa's regeneration scene, fans have been trying to work out what Piper's appearance means. Notably, she wasn't credited as playing the Doctor, as is usually the case for incoming actors taking on the role, leading some to speculate that something else is afoot.

Amongst those who have weighed in from the show's past is River Song star Alex Kingston, who said: "To be perfectly honest, I still don't quite believe it because she's not a Gallifreyan, she's a human.

"I think there's some playing going on here. But I don't buy that she's the next Doctor, and if she is, they're gonna have to work hard to convince me, because she's not a Gallifreyan!"

Meanwhile, writer (and occasional star in multiple roles), Mark Gatiss, called the regeneration "the ultimate cliffhanger", comparing it to "Sherlock in The Reichenbach Fall".

Whatever the case, it seems likely that we will get answers in this year's Christmas special, which will the long-running sci-fi show's next episode.

Earlier this year, long-term series composer Murray Gold told the Half the Picture podcast that showrunner Russell T Davies has written "multiple versions" of the script for the special, depending on "certain outcomes".

Saturday Night Live UK is available to watch on Sky and NOW – sign up to Sky TV to watch.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. 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.

Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.