Fans of the long running BBC series Doctor Who were surprised to see a familiar face as the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, completed her final episode as the Time Lord. Here's who the next Doctor Who actor is going to be...
Back in May 2022 it was announced that the next Doctor would be Mizero Ncuti Gatwa, who is best known for his role as Eric Effiong in Netflix's series Sex Education.
However, anyone who's seen Jodie's finale episode "The Power of the Doctor" will know that things have drastically changed since this announcement. At the end of the 90 minute Doctor Who special, Jodie didn't regenerate into Ncuti as expected, she changed into the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant!
The BBC has confirmed that David - who also played the role between 2005 and 2010 - has officially returned, and that Ncuti will be the 15th Doctor rather than the 14th. David will be reprising his role for three episodes - alongside other returning cast members such as Catherine Tate and the late Bernard Cribbins - for the show's 60th anniversary. These episodes are expected to air in November 2023, with Ncuti's first episode expected for the festive period in a Doctor Who Christmas special episode.
Talking about the surprise regeneration, showrunner Russell T. Davies said: “If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti’s 15th Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!”
Who is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa, full name Mizero Ncuti Gatwa, is a Scottish actor originally from Kigali, Rwanda. Born in October 1992 in the midst of a civil war, when he was two years old his family moved to the UK. He studied acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, has appeared at Shakespeare's Globe in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but his best known role is in Sex Education, which earned him a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Television and three BAFTA Television Award nominations for Best Male Comedy Performance.
Speaking about his upcoming role as the Doctor, Ncuti said, "There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my utmost to do the same."