‘Doctor Who' Ratings Dive, Supercharging Uncertainty About Future Of Sci-Fi Series
Rupert Murdoch-owned The Sun newspaper sparked the latest flurry of rumors, reporting that Ncuti Gatwa had been 'exterminated' from the BBC series amid a ratings 'nosedive.' The BBC said it was 'pure fiction' that Gatwa had been fired.
More from Deadline
Disney+ Scores Rights To Stream UEFA Women's Champions League Across Europe
The Mouse Roars: Disney Tries To Derail Justin Connolly's New YouTube Gig With Breach Of Contract Suit
Disney Pushes Next Two 'Avengers' Movies; Dates 'The Dog Stars' & 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'
The Sun's front-page story also gives credence to speculation that Doctor Who will be 'rested' after Season 15 has finished screening on the BBC and Disney+.
Tomorrow's front page: Doctor Who exterminated – BBC bin star Ncuti after Eurovision row Read more: https://t.co/LujJz1bGPJ pic.twitter.com/xDAQThGbS5
— The Sun (@TheSun) May 22, 2025
The BBC, along with producers at Bad Wolf and BBC Studios, have long veiled Doctor Who in secrecy, meaning that speculative reporting can quickly take root.
So what can we say with certainty about the destiny of the Time Lord?
Firstly, the show's UK ratings have dropped considerably. Detractors have pinned this on so-called 'woke' storylines, though it is not clear if this is the only reason people are switching off.
Deadline has analyzed official seven-day viewing figures for the first half of Season 15, and it does not make easy reading for those involved in Doctor Who.
The first four episodes have averaged 2.9M viewers, which is a million viewers down from last year's season, which was Gatwa's first as the Doctor.
Episode
Season 15
Season 14
Season 13
1
3M
4M
5.8M
2
3.2M
3.9M
5.1M
3
2.8M
3.5M
4.6M
4
2.7M
4M
4.5M
Average
2.9M
3.9M
5M
Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker's last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier. Season 13 was watched by 5M people over its first four episodes in 2021, two million more viewers than the show is currently managing.
Deadline has used viewing figures from Barb, the UK's official ratings body. They include on-demand and streaming viewing on televisions, but are not the full picture.
Broadcasters and streamers prefer to use 28-day figures, which provide a more conclusive picture. Nonetheless, seven-day viewing is usually directional and the pattern of decline will likely be reflected in Doctor Who's final ratings.
The second important thing to say about the speculation around Doctor Who is that the drama's key figures — including Gatwa himself — have done little to dispel the sense of unease.
On Friday, the BBC repeated the line it has held for many months: no decisions will be made about a renewal until Season 15 has finished screening.
In a small development today, the BBC was prepared to say that Gatwa had not been fired from the show, but refused to deny that he had quit. Gatwa's rep has been contacted for comment.
Meanwhile, Disney+ has also not commented on whether it intends to remain a co-production partner on Doctor Who outside of the UK.
As for showrunner Russell T Davies, he has actively blown wind in the sails of reporting about Doctor Who being rested beyond its current season.
Speaking to BBC Newsround last month, Davies said that Doctor Who is like Robin Hood, meaning 'there might be a pause' in the story, but 'no good idea ever dies.'
At the same time, Davies has also said that scripts have been written for Season 16. 'Three of them [are] sitting there, three different writers. One script [is] already on draft six,' he told Dr Who Magazine.
Furthermore, The Daily Mirror's Doctor Who authority Nicola Methven has reported that stories for two seasons are planned out, even if there is a pause.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'As we have previously stated, the decision on Season [16] will be made after Season [15] 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.'
It's going to take time for the space dust to settle around Doctor Who's future.
Best of Deadline
Every 'The Voice' Winner Since Season 1, Including 9 Team Blake Champions
Everything We Know About 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' So Far
'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
9 minutes ago
- New York Post
Taron Egerton thinks he's ‘too messy' to play James Bond: ‘It would be wasted on me'
Shaken, not stirred. Taron Egerton has dropped out of the race to become the next James Bond as Amazon MGM Studios eyes their new international man of mystery. During a recent interview with Collider, the British actor admitted that he wouldn't be a 'good choice' to play the next 007 after Daniel Craig, 57, gave up the iconic mantle following 2021's 'No Time to Die.' Advertisement 9 Taron Egerton as Eggsy in 2017's 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle.' 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection 9 Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2006's 'Casino Royale.' ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'I think I'm too messy for that,' Egerton, 35, told the outlet. 'I really love James Bond and particularly Daniel Craig's tenure. But I think I wouldn't be good at it.' Advertisement 'I think there are so many cool, younger actors who would be great for it,' the 'Smoke' actor added. 'I think it would be wasted on me, probably.' However, Egerton clarified that his opposition to playing the next Bond doesn't mean he doesn't 'have aspirations and plans' to star in 'more commercial' movies in the future. 9 Taron Egerton attends the 'Smoke' premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival 9 Daniel Craig as 007 in 'Casino Royale.' ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 'I think I'm in a period in my life where I've been following the things that speak to me on a creative level a little bit more, but I'm sure I won't feel that way forever,' Egerton explained. 'But James Bond is quite an undertaking, and I think, one, as far as I'm aware, nobody's asking me to do it,' the 'Rocketman' star added. 'But also, it's possibly not quite the thing that would make me happiest.' 'I do think it's a big old undertaking, it kind of consumes your life, a role like that,' Egerton concluded. 9 Taron Egerton in the Apple TV+ series 'Smoke.' Apple TV+ Advertisement The actor previously starred as Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin, a stylish spy similar to Bond, in director Matthew Vaughn's 2014 film 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' and its 2017 sequel. Although he did not appear in the 2021 prequel 'The King's Man,' Vaughn teased 'Kingsman 3' and Egerton's possible return during an event back in 2023. As for 007, Egerton wouldn't be the first actor to distance himself from the role. 9 Taron Egerton in the Apple TV+ series 'Smoke.' Apple TV+ 'Crazy Rich Asians' star Henry Golding, 38, said that playing James Bond is 'every actor's kind of nightmare' during an interview with People last month. 'Why can't they bring out more agents or more 00s? I think that would be so much more fun, because there just aren't the restraints and the expectation,' he said. 'Maybe I'm just a p—y. I don't know,' Golding added. 'But I think I would love it so much more if there wasn't that overhanging cultural pressure.' 9 Daniel Craig during his last outing as James Bond in 2020's 'No Time to Die.' ©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement After obtaining creative control of the franchise in February, Amazon MGM Studios announced in June that 'Dune' director Denis Villeneuve would helm the studio's first Bond film. 'I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory,' Villeneuve, 57, said after being named director. 'I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.' 'This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor,' he added. 9 Taron Egerton as Elton John in 2019's 'Rocketman.' ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection Advertisement While the lead role has not been filled, the rumor mill has been in overdrive with suggestions on which actors should be in contention. The list includes Henry Cavill, Harris Dickinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Idris Elba and more. Pierce Brosnan, who played the martini-sipping secret agent before Craig took over in 2006's 'Casino Royale,' insisted back in March that the new 007 must be British. Brosnan, 72, also commended producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for handing over the franchise's creative control to Amazon MGM. 9 Taron Egerton attends the 'Smoke' premiere at the Tribeca Festival on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in New York. Andy Kropa/Invision/AP Advertisement 'It takes great courage for them to let go,' he told the Telegraph at the time. 'I hope that [Amazon] handles the work and the character with dignity and imagination and respect,' the 'Die Another Day' star added.
Epoch Times
11 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
UK Company Developing Reality Competition Series Inspired by the World of Sherlock Holmes
Amateur sleuths can put their deductive reasoning skills to the test in a new reality series competition inspired by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary Sherlock Holmes. Remarkable Entertainment, a subsidiary of Banijay UK Productions, announced on Wednesday that it had struck a deal with the Conan Doyle Estate to develop an unscripted show that draws on the world of his famous fictional detective.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'BBC's new Traitors-style show Destination X has one big problem'
OPINION: The Destination X contestants do miss out on the very best elements of Race Across the World BBC's new travel show Destination X steals some of its elements from The Traitors and Race Across the World, making it addictive TV. Put yourself in the shoes of Destination X's contestants who are being guided by the gamesmaster, Rob Brydon. Imagine being blindfolded and led onto a luxury coach that has blacked-out windows, travelling through Europe. You must try to work out where you are — Destination X — with only vague and confusing clues to help you. There is £100,000 at stake. The money on the table is much higher than the £20,000 winnings for Race Across the World and even better than The Traitors 2025's jackpot of £94,600 (this was split two ways at £47,000). Immediately, it sounds enticing. Think The Traitors meets Coach Trip. You can play along at home too, although without the attractive monetary reward. Destination X misses the best parts of Race Across the World "It struck me as the best bits of The Traitors with the best bits of Race Across the World," its gamemaster Rob Brydon teased ahead of it landing on BBC One. The Would I Lie To You? host is good fun and he has been taking inspiration from Claudia Winkleman's terrific hosting on The Traitors. But Destination X does have one big flaw. The Destination X contestants do, in fact, miss out on the very best elements of Race Across the World. The majority of the filming so far takes place from the inside of the coach. This does prove to be a limit of the new BBC series, especially where it has been pitched as a travel show. The Destination X contestants don't get to interact with the locals or have the opportunity to freely explore within the countries they are travelling through. Perhaps it would give away too much. All of the clues the contestants get are tightly controlled by production through challenges. It would be great to see more of the Destination X contestants dropped in the middle of nowhere with the freedom to explore some of the surrounding area. Almost like a real life Geoguessr, where players have to work out the location from Google Street view. Race Across the World contestants often tell Yahoo UK that exploring the countries and speaking to strangers are the two most rewarding things to get from the experience. Being confined to two coaches (one for sleeping) on Destination X is like trapping all of the contestants of The Traitors in one room of the Scottish castle. Or putting them on a long overnight bus on Race Across the World. Race Across the World's 2024 winner Alfie previously complained to Yahoo UK that boredom on those endless coach journeys was the toughest part of the show. It seems a shame not to make more of the stunning locations Destination X's coaches are travelling through. I want to see more moments like the second episode's cable car challenge in the Switzerland mountains. It's gripping and the scenery is spectacular. Rows and casting But the claustrophobia on the coach does have its advantages. It will work well for escalating the tension among the cast. I expect explosive rows to break out in that small space as the trip goes on, nearing its final destination. There are a lot of different personalities onboard you could see clashing. Destination X's bosses have cast a variety of different characters from endurance athlete Nick who isn't afraid to speak his mind even when he doesn't agree with others, to E-commerce Manager James who doesn't mind stirring up the drama, to relaxed and trusting London taxi driver Daren. Like The Traitors, everyone plays the game differently. Some people onboard are quick to form secret allegiances. There are the people who tell the truth and others who want to tell lies. You can't help but wonder how you would play the game. But there are no banishments here; its the person who guesses the furthest away from the location who will be sent packing. Understandably, the first episode feels like a slow burn until the contestants board the coach to embark on their adventure. Once it gets underway, Destination X promises to be a thrilling ride. Watch Destination X's first two episodes on BBC iPlayer.
