Sex Education star gives verdict on co-star Ncuti Gatwa amid Doctor Who ‘axe’ rumours
EXCLUSIVE: Ncuti Gatwa debuted as the Fifteenth Doctor on Christmas Day, 2023, but reports have suggested that the Scottish actor is "quitting the show."
A Sex Education star has had their say on Ncuti Gatwa's tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor amid reports that the Scottish actor is to "quit" the series. Despite only stepping into the iconic role in December 2023, multiple reports have suggested that Ncuti will leave the show after the 15th season airs later this year. The news comes after reports suggested the BBC had plans to shelve the fan-favorite series, which BBC bosses have strongly denied. Ncuti, 32, became the first-ever Black actor to play the role. According to The Times, Gatwa is said to have already filmed his "regeneration exit scene."
Speaking to exclusively to the Express Online at the Royal Society Programme Awards, one of Ncuti's co-stars from Sex Education has spoken out about him landing the role of The Doctor.
Jim Howick, who played Colin Hendricks, commented, "I'm immensely proud of Ncuti and all of my students from Mordale. I always knew Ncuti would; his trajectory would just go up and up and up, and I'm incredibly pleased for him. You know, they're not kids, they were they were adults at the time."
Ncuti's breakout role as Eric Effiong, in the Netflix hit series Sex Education, saw him receive a BAFTA Scotland Awards for Best Actor in 2020 for his performance in the series. He stayed on for four seasons before landing the role of Doctor Who in 2023. The sci-fi show will return to our screens on Saturday, April 12th, on BBC One and iPlayer. Millie Gibson will reprise her role as Ruby Sunday, and Varada Sethu will play a new companion.
Don't miss: Beyond Paradise star welcomes new addition to the Death in Paradise spin-off
Don't miss: BBC Breakfast guest halts live show to share emotional announcement on air
Don't miss: Full list of people qualifying for free TV Licence as bills change
In a statement released last month, a BBC spokesperson commented about the rumours: "This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes - and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines."
On its debut, Gatwa's first Doctor Who series garnered only 2.6 million viewers on BBC One. The Sun has also reported that crew working on the latest series have been told not to expect any more work on another Doctor Who series "for another decade." An insider told the publication, "Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles, with several Hollywood projects standing by for him."
