Theo Reilly
17 Feb 2025
The Sun has reported that the Ncuti Gatwa is leaving the role of the 15th Doctor, and that the show is being axed due to low ratings and “woke storylines”, but a BBC spokesperson has confirmed that this is untrue.
When Gatwa was announced as the 15th Doctor, I was excited, but sceptical. It was clear brilliance in casting, he was perfectly suited to the legendary role, with the fiery charisma that he displayed throughout Sex Education.
However, I saw a budding young superstar who was due to feature in blockbusters like Barbie (2023), taking on The Doctor in what appeared to be a steppingstone to his future career. As a lifelong fan of Doctor Who (and admittedly sometimes a gatekeeper) I didn’t like this.
Fans of the show are used to the lead actor devoting themselves to the role, and it usually being the high point of their career. I cynically predicted that Gatwa would leave after his second series to move onto bigger things, but still hoped that he would give his all to the role while he had it.
Say what you like about the varying quality of Season One, we can all agree that Gatwa killed it. In episode’s like Boom, he was exhilarating to watch, displaying the fury and the passion of the three-thousand-year-old Time Lord. But it was concerning that in an eight-episode series, two barely featured The Doctor, due to Gatwa’s busy schedule.
So, it’s not much of a surprise that Gatwa may be leaving after his next series. But can/should the show go on without him?
The Sun article describe the ratings of Gatwa’s first season as “abysmal” for pulling in 2.25-3.18 million viewers per episode. But in reality, these ratings are fine. Yes, it’s a fraction of past viewership, but it needs to be taken in the context of the changed media landscape, where a fraction of people now watch TV.
And to those who claim that Doctor Who is now too ‘woke’, I would encourage you to do your research. Doctor Who has ALWAYS been woke.
Doctor Who could have ended after Peter Capaldi. But the announcement of Jodie Whitaker as his replacement, was a refreshing new direction the show could have gone in, with its first female lead. It’s a shame it didn’t succeed.
David Tennant’s return, along with Russell T. Davies, was a necessary step backwards to revive some lost viewership, before handing over to Gatwa. But fans remain unhappy with a handful of lacklustre and uninspired episodes, particularly the finale Empire of Death.
So maybe news of potential shelving could be a good thing, to let the show rest and revive some creative flare. I would agree with this, if it weren’t for some of the amazing material
that recent Doctor Who still has to offer. Take 73 Yards, in my opinion the best episode since 2017.
Doctor Who still has some life in it yet. And as the great 12th Doctor said before his regeneration, “one more lifetime won’t kill anybody”. If Gatwa decides to go, it will be a sad goodbye, but I’m not ready to let go of The Doctor just yet. I don’t think you should either.