Ncuti Gatwa Explains Why He Left Doctor Who: “I’m Getting Old. My Body Was Tired”

Ncuti Gatwa, known to many from Netflix’s Sex Education, has shared the real reason why he left Doctor Who. Talking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show, Gatwa said that being the Time Lord was simply too exhausting.

“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,” Gatwa joked. He explained that working on Doctor Who was a dream job, but also said, “It’s the most amazing job in the world, a job that any actor would dream of and – because it’s so good – it’s strenuous. It takes a lot out of you, physically, emotionally, mentally, and so it was time.”

The actor, who is 32 and was born in Rwanda but raised in Scotland, played the 15th Doctor for two seasons. He first showed up during the show’s 60th anniversary special, where he joined David Tennant’s 10th and 14th Doctors. Fans were surprised earlier this year when Gatwa’s character regenerated and was replaced by Billie Piper, who returned to the show in a twist few expected.

When asked if he could ever return to Doctor Who, Gatwa said, “Never say never.”

Gatwa also addressed another question that had been going around. He was supposed to be the UK’s spokesperson during the Eurovision Song Contest in May, but pulled out before the event.

Rumors suggested that his withdrawal was linked to the controversy about Israel competing, but Gatwa denied this. He explained that he had stepped back from Eurovision long before that news broke.

“It all panned out very interestingly. I pulled out of it a long time before it was announced,” he said. “And it was announced when it was announced, I don’t know why, but I was just very busy. Just had a lot of work schedules, a lot of press around The Roses, around Doctor [Who].” He also said he didn’t watch Eurovision this year, adding, “I was just very busy.”

Now, Gatwa is focusing on stage work. He will soon appear in a play called Born With Teeth at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre. The play imagines what could have happened between playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

Gatwa will play Marlowe, while his former Sex Education co-star Edward Bluemel will play Shakespeare. Talking about the show, Gatwa said, “It’s a really great story between these two huge literary icons, and it’s very exciting to imagine what could have happened in a room together.”

While Gatwa moves on to new projects, Doctor Who seems to be going through some serious trouble. UK ratings for the show are way down. Gatwa’s second season as the Doctor (Season 15) has only averaged about 3.1 million viewers per episode so far. That’s almost a million fewer than last season, and nearly two million fewer compared to the 2021 season with Jodie Whittaker.

On top of the falling ratings, no one really knows what’s next for the show. A spokesperson confirmed that Gatwa wasn’t fired from Doctor Who, but the network didn’t deny that he had chosen to leave. Disney+, which helps produce the show, hasn’t commented either.

Even showrunner Russell T Davies has said mixed things. In one interview, he compared Doctor Who to Robin Hood, saying that “there might be a pause” in the story but adding that “no good idea ever dies.” At the same time, Davies told Doctor Who Magazine that scripts for a new season are already written, saying, “Three of them [are] sitting there, three different writers. One script [is] already on draft six.”

Fans of the show are now left waiting, wondering whether Doctor Who will take a break or carry on. Meanwhile, Ncuti Gatwa is already moving forward.

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