Ncuti Gatwa exits Doctor Who and regenerates into Billie Piper as fans left speechless
Ncuti Gatwa has stepped down from his role as the Doctor after playing the iconic character for two seasons on the beloved sci-fi series Doctor Who. At the end of the 15th season finale, which aired on Saturday May 31, fans were left stunned as Gatwa was seen regenerating into Billie Piper, who previously played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, when David Tennant was playing the iconic part.
In a press release, the BBC refers to the Doctor's regeneration, but says: "Just how and why she [Billie Piper] is back remains to be seen…" Scottish-Rwandan actor Ncuti has released a statement following his shock exit which reads: "This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever."
The credit at the end of the programme read: "Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper". It comes after speculation had been building for some time that Gatwa was going to be 'axed' from the programme which the BBC previously denied.
A spokesperson for the BBC told the media earlier this month: "Whilst we never comment on the future of the Doctor, any suggestion that Ncuti Gatwa has been 'axed' is pure fiction."
As for whether the series will continue, the BBC explained: "As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs and any other claims are just pure speculation. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and we still have an entire spin off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, to air. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines."
Meanwhile Billie Piper, who is set to make her shock return, first starred on the show in 2005 when it returned to television for the first time since the 1990s, appearing alongside Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant.
After her memorable role of Rose Tyler for two full series in 2005 and 2006, the 42-year-old won acclaim for roles including sex worker Belle de Jour in Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the lead character in Sky Atlantic's I Hate Suzie.
In 2017, Piper won best actress award at the Olivier's, for her performance in the play Yerma.
She was most recently nominated for a Bafta for playing TV producer Sam McAlister in Scoop, a drama about Prince Andrew's car crash interview on Newsnight in 2019.
After Scots legend Peter Capaldi stepped down as the 12th doctor, Piper told the BBC she believed a woman should take over the coveted role but was not sure about playing the part herself.
Capaldi went on to be replaced by Jodie Whittaker, who was then replaced by Sex Education star Ncuti.
Gatwa has only played the Doctor for 18 months, appearing in two series, which marks the shortest amount of time any star has been in the role since Christopher Eccleston's one year stint as the Doctor in 2005.
There is still uncertainty about when the show will return after it's finale for season 15 was aired tonight on May 31. Showrunner and head writer Russell T Davies previously confirmed that no official decision would be made on commissioning the next series until this series had been broadcast.
The last two series of the show have been co-produced and broadcast internationally by streaming service Disney+, which has given the beloved sci-fi series a bigger budget.
However, conversations about whether the BBC and Disney wish to renew that deal, or whether other options should be explored, are likely to take a while.
In order for a new series to be released in 2026, production would need to get under way relatively soon.
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