'I'm a Doctor Who superfan and show's made huge mistake with Billie Piper move'

Like millions of other Doctor Who fans, I watched with my jaw agape as Ncuti Gatwa's incarnation of the character regenerated into Billie Piper in the season finale of the long-running BBC sci-fi series on Saturday, May 31. Traditionally, this iconic scene, which has been a part of the show since 1966 when William Hartnell's Doctor regenerated into Patrick Troughton's, passes the mantle to the new actor playing The Doctor. However, shortly after viewing the episode, I started joining the dots; it became pretty apparent we have been thrown a red herring, and she is not going to be playing the titular role, which is a real shame as I think her return could be just what the show is in desperate need of.

The legacy fans already love her, and thanks to post-Who work such as I Hate Susie and Austen, she has grown her fan base further and therefore could bring new people to the show. She has already enjoyed a long stint on the programme and so is familiar with the schedule and the demands of it. She is an excellent and award-winning actress who can balance the gravitas of the role with the Doctor's fun side. She is also now a mum of three and therefore aware of what sort of things children and teenagers want from the show. Basically, she ticks a lot of boxes.

Her comeback was one of the best-kept secrets in television in what had been an episode full of surprises. Usually, the media would get a whiff of such a huge return, but this was kept completely hush-hush. Like many other viewers, my first instinct was joy that Billie was not only returning to the show but that she had been promoted to the main role. She had previously portrayed the hugely popular companion Rose Tyler opposite Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's Doctors, and she also made a guest appearance in the 50th anniversary special Day of the Doctor. However, once I saw the credits, I realised something else was going on.

It simply said "Introducing Billie Piper" not introducing her as The Doctor, which is how they have billed every new actor to take over the role following the regeneration scene since the rebooted show began back in 2005. While that was enough to raise suspicions, the fact that there has also been no official announcement yet reeks of a curveball.

Neither the BBC or Billie have confirmed she is indeed the new Doctor. In a statement, she said: “It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there. To be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

That is hardly an announcement. It merely confirms a return to the show. And the BBC have not been forthcoming with a statement. Most likely scenario (and the one being speculated by many fans) is that Billie/Rose's face will be one of many the Doctor "revisits" before he settles into his latest incarnation. The fact that Time Lords can "try out" a face is canon from the classic series and affords Russell T Davies a way to bring back a beloved character, albeit for what could likely be a brief return.

This is a real shame. The show is at a crossroads and has really struggled in recent years. As a lifelong fan who has also watched all the classic episodes available, the indecisiveness about the characters and the lack of direction of recent years have really been an issue.

The show has been shunted around the schedules and at one point was bumped to Sunday nights. In the past couple of years, the deal with Disney has meant it is available from 6am on the morning of broadcast on iPlayer. Brilliant for super fans, but hardly a time of day when a family will sit down and watch together - always one of the show's USPs. The beloved Christmas Day specials were demoted to New Year's Day specials, then back to a Christmas Day special last year before being cancelled again this year.

There is nothing on the horizon for the show. No new episodes are scheduled to be released, although Russell is said to have at least another two series planned. The only thing Doctor Who fans have to look forward to is the spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea, which stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

With no new episodes looking likely until 2027, knowing Billie was cast would give fans a glimmer of hope and something to hang on to. There would be an excitement about seeing her take on the role and how she would handle it if her Doctor came face to face with Rose Tyler (who is currently living in a parallel universe!).

Or worse still, with David Tennant's fourteenth Doctor, who is living peacefully with the Noble family and who shares a place with her beloved 10th Doctor.

It opens up so many dramatic options and would also give the show a link across old and new episodes. If proof were needed that fans are hankering for a more classic spin on the programme, just look at the huge viewing figures for David's return for the 60th anniversary specials.

As a veteran of the show who has a genuine affection for it, Billie could well be the shot in the arm Doctor Who needs.