Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker says Ncuti Gatwa will "bring in an audience we haven't reached"

"Ncuti will be extraordinary."

By Jacob Sarkisian and David Opie

16 Oct 2022

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has spoken about what the new era of the long-running BBC sci-fi show will bring once Ncuti Gatwa takes over the reins as the new Time Lord.

Speaking to Digital Spy and other press, the actress, who has played the 13th incarnation of the Doctor since 2017, said how wonderful it has been to be part of the Doctor Who family. Specifically, Whittaker said that it feels special to be solidified in the legacy of the show.

jodie whittaker, mandip gill, tosin cole, bradley walsh, sharon d clarke, doctor who

BBC

"This family grows and it'll be bigger than us and it'll go on and Ncuti will be extraordinary and he will bring an audience that we haven't reached. His performance will be so magical that now we get to sit back and enjoy it as the fans we can be now and knowing that whatever is to come, we were once a part of that," Whittaker said.

"And you don't know that when you're about to step into something like this, all you feel is the narcissistic self-pressure. But now you can be out of it and go, 'right, we're in the family and they can't kick us out'."

doctor who star ncuti gatwa and showrunner russell t davies hug and smile at the baftas

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Whittaker's last appearance as the Doctor will air next week on Sunday, October 23. That episode will last 90 minutes and will feature the Doctor's regeneration.

Gatwa will reportedly start filming his first episodes as the new Doctor this November. No official release date has been given yet for Gatwa's first outright Doctor Who episode.

Doctor Who's next special premieres in October 2022 on BBC One in the UK. In the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams exclusively on BritBox in the UK.