Ncuti Gatwa: ‘Thank you for welcoming me into the Doctor Who family’
Incoming Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has had a rollercoaster of a week, being announced as the Fourteenth Doctor on Sunday just before facing the world’s media at the BAFTA TV Awards the same evening.
The Scottish actor, best known for his role as Eric Effiong in Netflix smash hit comedy drama Sex Education (pictured above), has been inundated with messages of support since the announcement, including from many of his Sex Education co stars including Emma Mackey who plays Maeve Wiley and Aimee Lou Wood who plays Aimee Gibbs on the show.
But Ncuti, who admitted he’d had to keep his casting a secret since February, has also been receiving messages of support from former cast members of the show he is about to join, including fellow Scot Sylvester McCoy, who of course played the Seventh incarnation of the Doctor up until 1989 when the show was cancelled.
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Taking to Instagram, Ncuti made a short video thanking McCoy for his good wishes and extended his gratitude to everyone from the Doctor Who community who had been in touch.
“Sylvester McCoy… thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your beautiful message. It means the absolute world – especially coming from a fellow Scot! Especially coming from a fellow Scot!”
“I am so looking forward to facing all of those foes, especially the last one you mentioned – and the support from you and all the other Doctors has filled me with the strength that I will be able to do that.”
He added: “Thank you so much for welcoming me into the family. It means the world.”
In a separate post, Ncuti thanked the current Doctor Jodie Whittaker and the actor who played the Tenth incarnation of the Timelord, David Tennant, for their kind words on the evening of the BAFTA TV Awards.
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“The Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker and Mr David Tennant for your beautiful words of support and encouragement on BAFTA day. I was absolutely cacking my pants and honestly speaking to you two was priceless”
He also extended his thanks to incoming showrunner Russell T Davies who replaces Chris Chibnall at the helm of the show as well as the broader Doctor Who community.
“The Doctor Who fam: Russell, all the producers and the wonderful fans have been so gracious and welcoming. I am stunned and speechless at the support. “
Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker in 2023. There is one final episode of the Jodie Whittaker era remaining, an episode this autumn that will coincide with the centenary of the BBC. We already know that old companions will return for the feature length episode and that some of the Doctor’s oldest enemies will be causing trouble for Jodie Whittaker one last time.
It is expected further major announcements of the Russell T Davies / Ncuti Gatwa era may be reserved until after that episode has aired.
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