This Sex Education star has been announced as the next Dr Who

Sex Education stars on the red carpet
(Image credit: 2020 David M. Benett)

Jodie Whittaker, the first female ever to play Dr Who, announced she would be leaving the iconic BBC show last July after six years in the Tardis.

Speculation about who would be drafted in to replace her has been rife ever since. It's been akin to guessing the next James Bond.

There were rumours of Michael Sheen, Michaela Coel and Lenny Henry, as well as whispers of David Tennant coming back to reprise his take on the Time Lord. The other big guesses were It's a Sin actors Lydia West, Olly Alexander and Omari Douglas. Most likely because It's a Sin writer, Russell T Davis, who was at the helm during Dr Who's revival in 2005, will be returning as showrunner in the next series.

However, none of these rumours was true.

Last night, the BBC announced that Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Eric in Netflix's Sex Education, will play the 14th Dr Who.

The Scottish actor, who was born in Rwanda, told BBC News: 'It feels really amazing. It's a true honour. This role is an institution and it's so iconic.'

The news was announced just as stars were hitting the red carpet for the 2022 TV Bafta Awards. Gatwa, who was nominated for Male Performance in a Comedy Performance for the third time for his role in the teen comedy, posed for a selfie with Davies.

A photo posted by on

When asked about the new Doctor, Davies told journalists that Gatwa had solidified the position following a 'blazing' audition. 'It was our last audition. It was our very last one,' Davies said. 'We thought we had someone, and then in he came and stole it.'

Gatwa kicks off his new role in 2023.

Katie Thomas

Katie Thomas is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire UK. With over 10 years of experience on women's luxury lifestyle titles, she covers everything from the best beauty looks from the red carpet and stand out trends from the catwalk, to colonic irrigation and to the best mascaras on the market. She started her career on fashion desks across the industry - from The Telegraph to Brides - but found her calling in the Tatler beauty department. From there she moved to Instyle, before joining the Marie Claire digital team in 2018. She’s made it her own personal mission to find the best concealer in the world to cover her tenacious dark circles. She’s obsessed with skincare that makes her skin bouncy and glowy, low-maintenance hair that doesn’t require brushing and a cracking good manicure. Oh and she wears more jewellery than the Queen.