Ncuti Gatwa, 32, quits Doctor Who citing age and fatigue

At 32, he is hardly over the hill. Yet Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa yesterday said he stepped away from the role because he is ‘old, tired… and doing ballet instead’. 

Ncuti became the first black actor to lead the BBC show and was hailed for bringing fresh energy to the Time Lord – but after two series he has called time on the role. 

It comes amid reports of behind-the-scenes tension and a Eurovision controversy that saw the actor withdraw from presenting the British votes. 

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg about leaving Doctor Who, the actor said: ‘I’m getting old, and my body was tired… and I’ve now just started doing some ballet, so I’m making really great decisions.’ 

Ncuti admitted the demands of Doctor Who left him drained ‘physically, emotionally, mentally’. 

However, he described the role as ‘the most amazing job in the world’ and said ‘never say never’ when asked if he could return in the future. 

At 32, he is hardly over the hill. Yet Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa yesterday said he stepped away from the role because he is ‘old, tired… and doing ballet instead’

Ncuti became the first black actor to lead the BBC show and was hailed for bringing fresh energy to the Time Lord – but after two series he has called time on the role

Ncuti is one of the youngest actors to have played the Doctor, with Matt Smith taking on the role at 26, Peter Davison at 29 and David Tennant at 34. 

Jodie Whittaker was 35 when she joined the show, while William Hartnell and Peter Capaldi were both 55 when they became the Time Lord. 

Ncuti’s exit follows speculation over his decision to pull out of presenting the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest results in May, with suggestions it was linked to Israel’s participation in the contest during the conflict in Gaza. 

Addressing the rumours, he said: ‘It all panned out very interestingly. I pulled out of it a long time before it was announced. 

‘And [I don’t know why] it was announced when it was announced but I was just very busy.’ 

Ncuti’s final Doctor Who appearance aired in May and he will now star in the West End show Born With Teeth. 

This comes after the BBC issued a statement after livid Doctor Who fans complained about an episode being ‘spoiled’. 

Doctor Who’s 15th season wrapped up last month and saw Ncuti depart as the Time Lord in the series’ finale. 

It comes amid reports of behind-the-scenes tension and a Eurovision controversy that saw the actor withdraw from presenting the British votes

The actor said: ‘I’m getting old, and my body was tired… and I’ve now just started doing some ballet, so I’m making really great decisions’

Ncuti’s character regenerated into Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in scenes that sent viewers into a meltdown.

However, some fans voiced concerns that the episode was ruined because the BBC News site published an article with the headline: ‘Ncuti Gatwa regenerates into Billie Piper as he leaves Doctor Who’.

A spoiler warning was then written underneath, but many felt the headline spoiled the ending.

Since then, the broadcaster has acknowledged the complaints and explained the reasoning behind the story. 

The statement read: ‘Some people contacted us to complain that the headline gave away the ending, spoiling this Doctor Who episode for them. 

‘Others requested that the BBC be more conscious of spoilers going forward, particularly in the use of headlines.

‘Ncuti Gatwa’s departure from the series had been widely speculated and many fans will have been aware that this was a possibility.

‘The headline on the news homepage that evening referred to Ncuti Gatwa’s departure because this was a legitimate entertainment news story in its own right, and it is not unusual that we would carry this type of story once a programme has been broadcast and the details in the public domain.’

This comes after the BBC issued a statement after livid Doctor Who fans complained about an episode being ‘spoiled’ 

Doctor Who’s 15th season wrapped up last month and saw Ncuti Gatwa depart as the Time Lord in the series’ finale

Ncuti’s character regenerated into Rose Tyler (Billie Piper, pictured) in scenes that sent viewers into a meltdown

It went on to reveal details of the regeneration was added in later on in the evening. 

The statement continued: ‘While we cannot account for everyone’s viewing habits, we initially held back from headlining the announcement of Ncuti Gatwa’s regeneration into Billie Piper. 

‘This extra detail was added later in the evening and our approach was consistent across the BBC site.

‘BBC journalists are of course entitled to use their judgement to decide which stories to cover and the manner in which they are reported. We also want our headlines to be as informative as possible.

‘Although every story is different, we have discussed your concerns on this occasion with senior editors and we will be mindful of your views for future coverage.’

When the episode aired, devout Whovians were not expecting the huge twist at the end when Ncuti’s character regenerated into Rose amid his departure after just two series as woke storylines saw ratings for the much-loved show plunge. 

However, some fans voiced concerns that the episode was ruined because the BBC News site published an article with the headline: ‘Ncuti Gatwa regenerates into Billie Piper as he leaves Doctor Who’ 

Since then, the broadcaster has acknowledged the complaints and explained the reasoning behind the story 

Billie first starred as the companion to the ninth Doctor in 2005, playing Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston’s Time Lord. She went onto star alongside David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor in the second series. 

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans were quick to share their reaction to Billie’s shock comeback, with one even asking: ”Did my eyes actually deceive me?!’

They penned: ‘THE WAY I SCREEEEEEEEEAMED’, ‘Did not see that coming. Wow!’

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.