Ncuti Gatwa says he left Doctor Who as ‘I am getting old and my body was tired’

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa said he quit the long-running BBC show because “I’m getting old and my body was tired”.

The Rwandan-Scottish actor, 32, whose breakout role was Eric Effiong in Netflix hit Sex Education, played the Time Lord for two series after first appearing in a 60th anniversary special with the 10th and 14th incarnations of the Doctor, David Tennant.

In May, during his final episode as the 15th Doctor, Gatwa appeared to be replaced by former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper when his character regenerated.

Gatwa told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “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.

“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.”

Asked if he would ever come back to the show, he said: “Never say never.”

Barbie star Gatwa has played the Doctor since Tennant’s Time Lord bi-generated in 2023, after his version of the alien character was brought back to the series as the 14th Doctor.

Gatwa was expected to be the UK’s spokesperson at the Eurovision Song Contest in May but pulled out, with speculation the decision was connected to controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in the competition.

“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).”

Asked about the speculation surrounding his withdrawal, Gatwa, who did not watch this year’s competition, said: “I was just very busy.”

The actor appeared on the Sunday morning news show to discuss the West End premiere of Born With Teeth, a play that re-imagines the relationship between rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

Gatwa plays Marlowe with his Sex Education co-star Edward Bluemel as Shakespeare in the Royal Shakespeare Company production at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre from August.

“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”, he said.