Billie Piper revealed as new Doctor Who after Ncuti Gatwa
In an epic two-part finale, viewers saw the Doctor face fellow Time Lady the Rani in an extraordinary battle to save the world.
Gatwa's 15th Doctor made the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of one little girl.
Following this, his regeneration was revealed, with former show star Billie Piper now taking on the mantle.
🔥 SPOILERS! 🔥 Watch the moment we said goodbye to the Fifteenth Doctor and hello to... #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/QP0KWoj7vQ — Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) May 31, 2025
Billie Piper revealed as new Doctor Who after Ncuti Gatwa
Piper is most notably known for playing Rose Tyler when the show rebooted in 2005, companion to both the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant respectively.
She replaces Ncuti Gatwa after just his second season as the titular Time Lord.
His portrayal of the Doctor won Gatwa a Best Actor award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards in 2024, as well as nominations for a BAFTA Scotland Audience Award for Favourite Scot on Screen, and Best Actor in a Drama Series at The Critics Choice Television Awards in the US in 2025.
Piper, 42, is the second woman to take on the role of the Time Lord after Jodie Whittaker portrayed the 13th Doctor.
The finale also saw Whittaker, the 13th Doctor, make a guest appearance as Gatwa's Doctor appeared to be travelling through alternate universes.
Billie Piper is the new Doctor Who (Image: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James Pardon/PA Wire)
However, it is not yet confirmed if she is definitely the '16th Doctor'.
Teasing the reason for Piper's return to the popular BBC show, Doctor Who TV said: "But just how and why she is back remains to be seen…"
On her return, Billie said: 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see.'
After Doctor Who was broadcast, Billie Piper posted on Instagram 'A rose is a rose is a rose !!!' with images from her previous time on the show playing the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler.
Showrunner Russell T Davies added: 'Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again!
"It's an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told.
"After 62 years, the Doctor's adventures are only just beginning!'
Ncuti Gatwa leaves Doctor Who and regenerates
The future of Doctor Who, however, is still up in the air, with no new series confirmed.
In a statement released by the BBC on leaving the show, Ncuti Gatwa said: 'You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.
'This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever.
"There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.
Ncuti Gatwa in his final episode of Doctor Who (Image: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James Pardon/PA Wire) 'The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can't thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience.
'I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have.
Recommended reading:
'I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.'
On Gatwa departing, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies said: 'What a Doctor! Thank you, Ncuti!
'As his final words say, this has been an absolute joy, and the team in Cardiff and everyone who has worked on this show for the past few years, are so lucky to have been part of Ncuti's great adventure as he shoots off to stratospheric new heights.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
13 minutes ago
- Daily Record
BBC's latest TV series release is a 'must watch' for Jane Austen lovers
This three-part series celebrates the life and legacy of Jane Austen and is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer A brand new BBC drama is captivating Jane Austen fans with a fresh take on the beloved author's life, legacy and enduring influence. With its rich storytelling and fresh approach to the author's life, Jane Austen: Rise of Genius promises to engage both life-long fans and newcomers alike. The docu-series is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, as the three-part series shows Austen as not only a literary icon but as a trailblazing woman who reshaped the literacy world. The release of the series comes in time to celebrate the author's 250th birthday, and it's not one to miss. The drama explores both Austen's literacy success and her personal journey, offering a rich portrayal of one of Britain's most celebrated writers. It follows how Austen created some of literature's most enduring characters while navigating family obligations, social expectations and personal heartbreak. The show is narrated by actress Juliet Stevenson - known for her roles in Emma and Bend It Like Beckham - and it weaves together dramatised scenes with Juliet's narration as well as Austen's own words from her novels and letters. Much of the narration is taken from her surviving letters to her sister Cassandra, offering fans a rare and intimate insight into her thoughts and experiences in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although many of the original letters were destroyed after Austen passed away to preserve her privacy, those that remain provide a powerful foundation for the story in the show. Jane Austen: Rise of Genius also features commentary from well-known authors and cultural figures, including Bridget Jones's Diary author Helen Fielding, Queenie creator Candice Carty-Williams, and Life After Life author Kate Atkinson. The cast includes a strong line up of British talent - Charity Wakefield, known for her role in Sense and Sensibility, Emma actress Greta Scacchie, Samuel West, known for his roles in All Creatures Great and Small, Greg Wise, who also starred in Emma and Tamsin Greig known for his roles in Friday Night Dinner and Belgravia. The show also provides historical insights from a range of experts and historians such as Dr Paula Byrne, Admiral Lord West, Dr Priya Atwal, Dr Louise Curran, Dr Paddy Bullard, and Ken Loach. The series has earned an impressive 8.8/10 rating on IMDb, with viewers praising it as a "must watch" for anyone interested in Jane Austen, literature and British history. Fans have also taken to X, formally known as Twitter, to share their opinion on the show. One fan penned: "Absolutely loved watching @BBC Jane Austen: Rise Of A Genius She was so ahead of her time. It's a 10 from me." With another writing: "Loved the first episode of Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius! I'm so looking forward to watching the other two parts." A third simply stated: "Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius on BBC2 was an excellent account of her independent spirit & determination."
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Billie Piper's VERY tumultuous romantic history - from 'drunken' first marriage aged 18 to messy split from Laurence Fox as the star returns to Doctor Who
Billie Piper sent fans into meltdown when she was revealed to be the next Doctor Who - but it is perhaps unsurprising that the star, who has cemented herself as a UK television legend, landed such a quintessentially British role. Viewers have seen the actress, 42, evolve her range from being a pop star to tackling powerful roles on the screen - from playing the Newsnight producer who secured Prince Andrew's infamous interview in Scoop to a high class proustite in Secret Diary of a Call Girl. And among her roaring success and breaking down stigmas for women in the industry - including reportedly starring in the longest solo sex scene on British TV with her character in I Hate Suzie pleasuring herself for seven minutes and four seconds - the star's turbulent love life has too been publicly documented. Billie was only 18 when she first wed presenter Chris Evans, then 35, in 2001, which she has described as being drunk 'for five years with an old man'. The former child star said she had a lot of 'baggage' to deal with when she moved into acting after her music career fizzled out. 'A lot of it was just tabloid fodder,' she told The Guardian. 'Rather than "Oh, she was a pop star" it was more, "She was a pop star, then she got p***ed for five years with an old man." I think that was the lasting image when I walked into an audition room.' The couple, who had a 16 year age gap, split when she was 21 and divorced in 2007, but remain close friends, she has claimed, hailing their relationship as a happy experience. 'Loved it. Loved that time. Learned so much,' she added. 'Really needed it, after the experiences that I'd had, leading up to that point. And I felt like I'd actually found a real friend. 'I guess meeting someone who had experienced [fame] for 20 years, at that level, it was very nurturing. And also very drunken, which I needed. I had a lot of fun during those years.' She was thrust back into the spotlight when she starred in Doctor Who alongside Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant until she left her permanent role in the show in 2008 - a show that will now see her return in the titular role. Around that same time, Billie was highly praised for her equal parts raunchy and nuanced portrayal of a sex worker. Based on the real life blog and books of Belle de Jour (a pen name), in ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl, the actress played a fictional character called Hannah Baxter, who racks in extra cash through he secret side-hustle. Many commended her performance as a successful university graduate who turns to the career for promise of more money and control over her finances, but others felt the show 'glamourised' the work. Speaking about the role to The Telegraph in 2008, she expressed: 'We've only been exposed to the drug-fuelled, sex traffic side – but the fact is, there are middle-class, cultured, well-read women who take part in this job. They're able to emotionally disconnect when it comes to sex – which most of us can't do. I can't.' Billie added: 'We watch The Sopranos – Tony is a murderer and yet we sympathise with him. 'He's brutal, yet we love him. But when a woman lies on her back and earns money, it upsets people. It's a scary subject, but the fact is, it happens.' Also brewing during this peak of her career was a romance with actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox - with the pair getting married in 2007. They have two sons, but since 2016 appear to be embattled in a messy split aftermath, which has seen the ex GB News host slam his former wife for alleged 'outright lies' after she claimed co-parenting their two sons was 'enormously difficult' amid his numerous scandals. Billie who shares Winston, 12, and Eugene, eight, with Laurence finally broke her silence on the toxic split last year, in an interview with British Vogue, six years after their divorce. Following its publication, her ex accused Billie of being untruthful in a lengthy social media post and said while 'not being perfect', he'd done his best to put his children first. He previously spoke about their parenting arrangement in 2022, claiming Billie was using their children as 'weapons' and that he'd been denied access to seeing them. Laurence has also accused Billie of taking him to court 'over a dozen times' since their split, making them both spend money which should be 'going towards their children's futures'. She tied-the-knot with Laurence in a low-key parish church ceremony on New Year's Eve in 2007, after a few drinks in the local pub. They were married in a 50-minute ceremony at a village church near their £750,000 home in Eastbourne, West Sussex, with the actress wearing a formal, low-cut wedding dress in ivory with a flash of pink. It was Billie's former husband Chris and his new wife, Natasha Shishmanian, that made the guest list somewhat unusual. The presenter was also the first person to visit the newly-married couple's home, with the trio chinking glasses in a cordial toast before Chris drove to his own country pile, just a few miles away. In 2010, Billie spoke about their relationship, admitting they had aimed for 'thespian couple' ideal of only one person working at a time. Yet she confessed: 'But we've failed at that already – we're so selfish, we couldn't even make a year.' Billie added the pair had also invested in a place in London as well as their cottage in West Sussex, as she'd begun to feel isolated, admitting: 'It was getting a bit "Sylvia Plath" down there.' In 2012, Billie in an interview also admitted that her husband wasn't a fan of her popular sultry TV role as a call girl. Speaking to Evening Standard, she explained: 'You're never going to be going, "Woo-hoo, you go and have sex, and have a wonderful time!" 'You're never going to do that, whether you're an actor or a window cleaner.' Years later, and despite being a regular to on-screen nudity, Billie also expressed that she actually finds getting her kit off on set 'annoying'. The actress in 2016 told ES Magazine that she was rarely offered a script that does not contain at least one raunchy scene. 'What's annoying is that they are fun roles, if you can remove the sex. It's the sex that makes it annoying,' she added. 'Otherwise they are interesting stories, interesting women with chequered pasts.' However, she also said that she feels TV roles for women are getting much better in the changing, modern times. Reuniting with Call Girl writer Lucy Prebble for Penny Dreadful, the theatre star confessed that the new project is 'sort of beautifully bleak' instead of overtly sexy. 'I would say tonally it's black comedy,' she explained of the new role, 'but it might just be black'. Yet Billie didn't suffer the same problem with her next role, landing a lead part in the 2024 Netflix drama Scoop, a dramatic retelling of the process of securing and filming the 2019 Prince Andrew interview with Newsnight The same year - Billie and Laurence confirmed they had separated after eight years of marriage, and insisted that 'no third parties involved' in their split. A post on his official Facebook account at the time read: 'Laurence Fox and Billie Piper have separated. No third parties are involved. For the sake of our family we request and appeal for space and privacy at this time.' The pair were granted a 'quickie divorce' in a court ruling that took just 50 seconds, citing unreasonable behaviour. The actress, was not present when her request for a decree nisi from the actor was granted on the grounds that the marriage had 'irretrievably broken down' on the grounds of his 'unreasonable behaviour'. At the time of their split, they stated their intention to 'co-parent their children with the utmost mutual respect for each other'. But between 2016 and 2017, Laurence and Billie then became embroiled in a lengthy custody dispute over access to their children. The proceedings concluded in the Family Division of the High Court in December 2017 and Laurence previously claimed that they drained his finances. The actor said that he'd been forced to put his career on hold so that he could help their children cope with the aftermath of the split. Speaking in January 2018, he said: 'I was certainly in a very dark place at one point – at my lowest ebb. I almost felt like I couldn't go on. It all felt so hopeless. 'With divorce, you immediately lose half the time you'd spend with the kids. That in itself is a mental health crisis. But, like everything, these feelings pass and you start to feel stronger with every day. 'Men no longer feel comfortable talking about relationships, and for the men who bottle it, it can be disastrous – they end up throwing themselves off buildings.' After his court proceedings, Laurence started campaigning to transform the family court system, which he described as 'unnecessarily adversarial'. At the time, he said: 'Actually I feel really sad. The process didn't need to be so long, drawn-out and adversarial. 'And ours was quick, because we have cash. I feel the children have been robbed of their young lives. It's been half of Eugene's life.' In 2022, Laurence brought their custody dispute back into the public eye when he accused Billie of denying him access to their children, alleging that he has not been able to see or speak to his eldest son Winston on his 14th birthday. He penned: 'It is [my son's] birthday tomorrow and his mother has denied him any access to see or speak with me, I am using my platform to highlight what child alienation does to families. Kids need both parents. 'Don't be the parent who refuses to let their sons speak to their dad, especially on their birthday. Don't be that parent. Put children first. Don't use them as weapons. 'It is so bad for kids. Child alienation needs to be talked about openly, along with all other child abuse.' But X users were quick to hit back at his allegations and accused him of using his children as 'weapons' - which he had claimed Billie was doing - by sharing the ranting post. The pair's divorce has also appeared turbulent in light of Laurence's many controversies following the split. When asked during her British Vogue interview last year how she navigates co-parenting Billie shared: 'With enormous difficulty.' She continued: 'I close everything down and keep a very strict routine with the kids so that there's consistency. I keep them close. That's all I can do... 'What is paramount for me is the privacy and anonymity of my children. They deserve not to be extensions of the parents and to forge their own identities.' Billie added she tries to avoid hearing anything about her ex, who has hit headlines for a slew of scandals. He was in 2023 dropped from GB News after launching into a 'sexist' rant about a female journalist and lost a high profile libel case after calling two men 'paedophiles'. Yet Billie does her best to avoid being drawn into his scandals, explaining: 'I try to keep people from telling me stuff but it's really, really hard. 'I don't read it but everyone wants to talk about it. Sometimes I have to say to people: "Please don't bring this to me, now or ever."' Yet she confessed she isn't the best person to ask about Laurence, saying: 'Look, if people want to try and understand the workings of the guy, they ought to either ask him or his family. 'Ask [Fox's brother-in-law, actor and comedian] Richard Ayoade what he thinks, or his wife [Fox's actor sister] Lydia. They might have a more interesting take.' Laurence previously confessed in a Sunday Times interview that he had fallen out with his brother-in-law, half-Nigerian comedian Richard, after his controversial race rant on Question Time. Appearing on the BBC panel show in 2020 he accused Rachel Boyle, an academic at Edge Hill University on Merseyside, of 'being racist' after she called him 'a white privileged male' for denying the Duchess of Sussex was hounded from Britain for being mixed-race. After his controversial statements, Laurence revealed his half-Kuwaiti girlfriend of five months, Sara McKinnon dumped him and caused tension with Richard. Laurence said: '[Richard] was furious. He told me I have never encountered racism. I responded. "Yeah, of course I have". I've encountered racism from black people towards me, when I was working in Kenya [as a safari driver] for seven months. 'It's the way you're spoken to. Racism can be deferential.' He revealed Richard didn't attend Sunday lunch at their house for a few weekends, as a result of their feud but claimed they had since become friends again. After Billie and Laurence's split, she dated Johnny Lloyd for eight years - and the pair share five-year-old daughter, Tallulah together - but reportedly split in February. Meanwhile, in past years Billie has continued to pursue roles which have taken her from strength to strength according to critics. In 2020, she reportedly starred in the longest solo sex scene on British TV with her character in I Hate Suzie pleasuring herself for seven minutes and four seconds. Billie, who starred as the title character and co-wrote the series with longtime collaborator, playwright Lucy Prebble, 'was determined to show women doing it for themselves', a source told The Sun. In episode four of the series Suzie is also seen taking the batteries out of her son Frank's robot for her sex toy. The source told the publication that it is 'not often' women are seen on TV 'enjoying themselves' 'solo'. They added: 'So frankly it makes a refreshing change to see such a long and animated scene like this one.' The Swindon-born star was lauded for her brooding portrayal of former popstar Suzie Pickles, who has her life thrown into disarray when intimate photos of her in a compromising position with a man who isn't her husband, are leaked online. Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 95 percent, while Billie received a TV BAFTA nomination for her work in both the first season and follow-up I Hate Suzie Too. However, despite going down a treat with critics, it failed to draw in a big enough audience, and it was not renewed for a third season. Speaking to the Mail about the show's cancellation, Billie mused: 'It just didn't get a big enough audience - that's the way it goes. 'People in television loved it, because I guess it is largely about the world in which they work, but it wasn't seen by as many people beyond that world as we would like it to have been.' Yet Billie didn't suffer the same problem with her next role, landing a lead part in the 2024 Netflix drama Scoop, a dramatic retelling of the process of securing and filming the 2019 Prince Andrew interview with Newsnight. The series was praised by viewers and critics alike, with a whopping 2.75 million households tuning in for the first week alone. Billie also secured another TV BAFTA nomination for her role as producer Sam McAlister. That same year, she starred in another Netflix series, Kaos - a contemporary re-imagining of Greek mythology - where she played prophetess Cassandra. The eight-episode series also starred Jeff Goldblum and Janet McTeer and received good reviews. Fans were left crushed when the series was not renewed, with Kaos ultimately becoming the most-watched cancelled series in the second half of 2024. Yet Billie had no time to mourn the end of the show as she was thrust into work on Netflix megahit Wednesday. The mother-of-two has landed a role as Isadora Capri, Nevermor Academy's new head of music. A former child prodigy, Isadora is described as being 'brilliant, intense, and enigmatic'. According to Netflix, she takes a special interest in Wednesday's (Jenna Ortega) musical gifts and becomes a mentor to fellow werewolf Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers). Wednesday Season 2, Part 1 will drop on August 6, with Part 2 following on September 3. Billie will then be kept busy filming for Doctor Who after the jaw-dropping finale saw her unveiled as the next incarnation of the Time Lord. The actress is well-known to longtime Who fans, having previously played The Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, and The Moment interface in the show's 50th Anniversary Special. Ncuti Gatwa became the 15th Doctor in 2023 but during Saturday's episode it appeared that Ncuti's Doctor, had regenerated into Billie, with her first words being: 'Oh hello!' Billie will now be the second woman to take on the role as the Time Lord after Jodie Whittaker portrayed the 13th doctor. However, while her reveal understandably sparked a huge frenzy on social media, others have been quick to spot one key problem with her regeneration, following Ncuti Gatwa's long-speculated exit from the show. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, some fans were quick to note in the episode's closing credits, Billie was not credited as 'The Doctor,' with it instead simply stating: 'Introducing Billie Piper.' Reacting to the news Billie said: 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse.' It is not known when the show will return and Billie's next scenes will air.
South Wales Guardian
41 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ross Kemp says he owes EastEnders ‘a great debt' and refuses to rule out return
The 60-year-old returned to EastEnders as Grant Mitchell after almost 10 years away during its 40th anniversary celebrations earlier this year, as his character returned to Albert Square to help his brother Phil with his mental health problems. Grant recently left Walford again for his home in Portugal. Asked on ITV's Loose Women whether he would return to the role again, Kemp said: 'You just don't know, do you? You don't know what's in the minds of the people who work on it. 'I've also (always) known that without it, I wouldn't have had the career that I've had, I've always owed it a great debt and it was very good to me, and hopefully I was good to it, and why not keep it that way? 'I've always believed that you should leave doors swinging rather than shut them.' Kemp, who went on to produce a number of documentaries since first leaving EastEnders in 1999 including Ross Kemp On Gangs, Ross Kemp In Afghanistan and Ross Kemp: Extreme World, said he enjoyed returning to the soap. He explained: 'It was so wonderful to jump into Grant's leather jacket again, which I can still get in. 'It's a family, it's an ongoing thing, and I'm talking about the past, and they're really busy doing their own thing, I just parachute in, and I exit generally by the tube station. 'But they've got to be welcoming, because it's like a high-speed train, you've got to jump on it at the right time or you miss it. 'So luckily, Steve McFadden (who plays Phil), and Paul Bradley (who plays Nigel Bates), and Letitia (Dean, who plays Sharon Watts) opened the door for me, and it was like going back home, and it was great.' Kemp began on the soap in 1990, and his previous appearance prior to his 2025 return, in 2016, marked his on-screen mother Dame Barbara Windsor's final episode as Peggy Mitchell. The actor currently hosts the BBC gameshow Bridge Of Lies, which challenges contestants to cross a digital bridge by choosing a true statement over a set of wrong ones.
