Swindon-born actress 'odds-on favourite' to be the next Doctor Who
Speculation is mounting that a Swindon-born celebrity is set to be announced as the next star of Doctor Who.
Rumours are continuing to swirl as to who could replace Ncuti Gatwa as the face of the iconic BBC TV series, following reports that he will step away from the show.
Swindon's very own Billie Piper is now the odds-on favourite to be the next Doctor, with online betting guide OLBG.com listing her as the strong 1/3 favourite with a 75% chance of landing the role.
Jenna Coleman, another of the show's former sidekicks, is currently second favourite with odds of 2/1.
Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones, Jessica Gunning of Baby Reindeer fame, and Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan also make the lists as outside bets.
Billie is already a fan's favourite among Doctor Who enthusiasts after playing the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's versions of the character in 2005 and 2006.
She also returned for several guest star appearances in 2008 and featured in the show's 50th anniversary special in 2013.
Recommended reading
Google shows what Swindon's streets looked like decade ago
Hammer-wielding thief "hit 13-year-old on the head" and stole his bike
Future of old golf course in the balance as protesters fight housing plans
Jake Ashton, OLBG's entertainment betting expert, said: "The return of a former companion like Billie Piper in the lead role would be a seismic twist and the odds suggest it's more than just fan fiction.
"Expect markets to move fast once casting chatter heats up officially."
The speculation comes as Sunday's edition of The Observer described Billie as being "in pole position" to take over as the next Doctor should Ncuti Gatwa depart, although the newspaper does not cite a particular source for the claim.
The BBC has denied that he has been "axed" but had not yet confirmed whether he will be staying in the Tardis for a third series in the role.
If the rumours are true, Billie would be the first person ever to appear in the show as both a companion and as the Doctor.
Billie was born in Swindon in 1982 and attended Brandon Forest School in Purton before moving to London at the age of 12 to pursue a career on stage and screen.
She won two National Television Awards for Best Actress in 2005 and 2006 for her performances in Doctor Who, and won an Olivier Award for her performance as the lead actress in the 2016 production of Yerma.
Piper also enjoyed a successful singing career, becoming the youngest female singer to enter the UK singles charts at number one with her debut single "Because We Want To", aged just 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Doctor Who' finale sees Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor regenerate into a very familiar face, but what does it mean for the show?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Doctor is dead. Long live the Doctor! The era of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor came to a surprise end on Saturday night, as the Time Lord regenerated at the end of "Doctor Who" season 2 finale "The Reality War". Massive spoilers ahead if you're yet to watch "The Reality War". You have been warned!!! With Time Lord supervillain Omega dispatched without hassle, both Ranis out of the picture, and reality on the way to being restored, the Doctor gradually realises that not everything is back to normal. Poppy, his daughter with Belinda Chandra in the "Wish World" fantasy, has been erased from history, so the Time Lord decides to sacrifice himself by firing a ton of regeneration energy into the time Vortex to "jolt it one degree" — and hopefully bring her back. It goes without saying that his madcap scheme saves Poppy, as we learn that, in this rewritten timeline, the little girl was always the reason Belinda had been desperate to get back home. But arguably the biggest talking point of the episode — and, indeed, the season — is saved until last, as the Doctor regenerates into a very familiar face… That's Billie Piper, the star of "Secret Diary of a Call Girl", "I Hate Suzie", "Mansfield Park" and the upcoming second season of "Wednesday". Much more relevant right now, however, is the fact she played the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, alongside Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor and David Tennant's Tenth Doctor during the phenomenally successful first two seasons of the show's 2005 reboot. She's set to become the second female incarnation of the Time Lord after Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Or the third if you count Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor — though the explanation of how she fits into the Doctor's history is a little bit timey-wimey. After two seasons of adventuring through space and time with the Doctor, Rose was trapped in the parallel universe where the Cybus Industries had created the Cybermen. She was presumed dead back home. The Tenth Doctor subsequently used the power of a supernova to make final contact through a tiny gap in the universe, "burning up a sun just to say goodbye". During their emotional farewell, Rose told the Doctor, "I love you". "Quite right, too," he replied. "And I suppose. If it's my last chance to say it. Rose Tyler…" And then the message cut off, leaving his answer a mystery — though he definitely shed a Time Lord tear or two back on the TARDIS. That wasn't the end of Rose Tyler's story, however, because she managed to find a way back to her home universe to help the Doctor fight the Daleks in series 4 finale "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End". The fact she was the first of the new "Who" companions gives Rose a special place in many "Who" fans' hearts, and Piper's performance set an extremely high bar for every subsequent TARDIS sidekick. But there was always the sense that this was one Doctor/companion relationship where the affection ran both ways. The "Meta-Crisis Doctor" — a quasi-regeneration of the Tenth Doctor who was essentially human — even settled down with Rose in the aforementioned alternative universe. Rose has a particularly deep connection to the TARDIS, having looked directly into its Time Vortex in series 1 finale "Bad Wolf"/"The Parting of the Ways". This briefly transformed her into the omnipotent Bad Wolf entity, but — despite effectively becoming a god — she'd absorbed too much energy for a human body to handle. The Ninth Doctor saved Rose by absorbing the Vortex energy into himself, triggering his regeneration into the Tenth Doctor. It was also no coincidence that Rose Noble (Yasmin Finney), daughter of later Tenth Doctor companion Donna, chose Tyler's name for herself after she came out as transgender — although all of Donna's recollections of her time in the TARDIS had been wiped, some residual memories had been passed down to her daughter. That's the big mystery, though it's not the first time the Doctor has regenerated into a familiar body. Most famously, David Tennant returned to play a Fourteenth Doctor who was the spitting image of the Tenth Doctor. Meanwhile, Sixth Doctor Colin Baker had previously played Commander Maxil in Fifth Doctor story "Arc of Infinity", and Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi had portrayed Caecilius in Tenth Doctor story "The Fires of Pompeii". (Capaldi also appeared in "Who" spin-off "Torchwood", though the Doctor was elsewhere during the events of "Children of Earth".) "Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again!" showrunner Russell T Davies teased after the big Billie Piper reveal. "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!" Another excellent question, and it would be unwise to make any assumptions — in fact, even "The Reality War"'s end titles have been engineered to add to the mystery. Although the show's post-regeneration credits have traditionally featured the line "And introducing [insert name] as the Doctor", here it simply says "And introducing Billie Piper". The omission of "as the Doctor" is unlikely to be accidental, suggesting that Davies is playing a very elaborate game with "Who" fandom. (It's also worth noting that Piper played a personification of an ancient Gallifreyan weapon of mass destruction called the Moment in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor". In other words, there's a precedent for the star playing new and unexpected roles in "Doctor Who".) Another mystery! The BBC and Disney+ are yet to confirm if and when "Doctor Who" will return for a third season of its current iteration. Davies told Radio Times back in April that, "There's no decision until after season 2," so the powers-that-be are presumably waiting to see the latest episodes' viewing figures before making a call. Hopefully, they'll be influenced by the fact that we still don't know why the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, has been calling out to him. It's one hell of a loose end… In the meantime, it feels appropriate to leave the final word (for now) to the Doctor-elect: "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," said Piper. "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." Every episode of "Doctor Who" season 2 is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the US. All of Billie Piper's previous adventures in the TARDIS are currently available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Darkest days' for father of missing Katrice Lee
The father of a two-year-old girl who vanished in 1981 has revealed how his vow to solve the mystery led him away from thoughts of self-harm. No trace has ever been found of Katrice Lee, who went missing on her birthday near a military base in Germany where her father Richard was stationed. In an episode of the new BBC podcast Katrice Lee: A Father's Story, he reveals how he contemplated taking his own life, but instead promised Katrice's sister, Natasha Walker, that he would continue his fight for answers. Ms Walker, who lives in Hampshire, said the podcast revealed her father's "darkest days". The first episode recounts how Katrice was with her mother Sharon and aunt Wendy at a Naafi supermarket in Paderborn on 28 November 1981, the girl's second birthday. Katrice ran off down an aisle and was never seen again. Authorities in Germany were initially suspicious of her parents and also speculated that Katrice had wandered unchallenged to the River Lippe and drowned. However, Mr Lee, from Hartlepool, said the case should have been treated as a possible abduction. He told the programme: "It was a nightmare that I didn't think would still be a nightmare 42 years later. I've never left day one in reality." In 2012, Royal Military Police apologised for mistakes in their initial investigation. Five years later, the force revealed that a man had been seen putting a child into a green car in the same area on the same day of Katrice's disappearance. The information, which the force had received in 1981, led to a five-week excavation by soldiers of a site in Germany but no trace of the girl was found. The podcast reveals Mr Lee's emotions, in interviews recorded at different points over the last 44 years. He said: "I went down some very dark routes and very dark avenues. And at my lowest point, I actually thought about suicide. "My choice was to continue the fight. I made a promise and that's what brought me out of the darkness. "I made a promise to Natasha that I would continue the fight to get answers until I can no longer fight." Ms Walker said: "It can be at times very difficult to listen to your parents breaking their hearts on this podcast. "But then when you have an opportunity to raise awareness again that your sister is still missing, obviously you're going to do everything that you can." In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Katrice Lee's family and if anyone has any new information relating to the disappearance of Katrice they can contact us." The podcast Katrice Lee: A Father's Story is available via the BBC Sounds app. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support is available via BBC Action Line. Father of girl missing since 1981 to meet minister Missing girl exhibition 'brings visitors to tears' 'I will never stop hunting for my lost daughter'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Roy Wood Jr. Mocks White House, CNN and Patti LuPone in Peabody Awards Monologue
After announcing its full list of winners last month, the Peabody Awards celebrated those honorees in person on Sunday night, with a L.A. ceremony hosted by Roy Wood Jr. The comedian kicked things off inside the Beverly Wilshire by joking, 'Last year's host was Kumail Nanjiani, so that is back-to-back years with a minority host. The Peabodys standing up for diversity, how about that? Which means in a few months, the White House will cut their funding and so they'll have John Mulaney, that's on y'all.' More from The Hollywood Reporter How Reginald Hudlin and Shola Lynch Put Together the Greatest Call Sheet Ever Are Music and Other Celebrity Films Killing the Documentary? Questlove Reveals the Standout Musical Performance He Omitted From 'Ladies & Gentlemen ... 50 Years of SNL Music' - And Why The event honored 34 winners across entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children'sand youth, public service, and interactive and immersive programming, with a focus on storytelling that reflects the social issues and emerging voices of today. Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Shogun and Will & Harper were among the recognized Hollywood projects. 'We're celebrating the fact that everyone in this room has done one of the boldest things you can do in these times, and that is just straight up tell the truth,' Wood told the crowd, acknowledging the stress of having to know all of the horrible things going on in the world to tell the truth. 'It's hard to create stuff about terrible things without knowing all of the terrible things. It's hard — that's why I quit The Daily Show, it was too much stress.' He then deadpanned, 'I work at CNN now [with comedy show Have I Got News For You], I ain't got to do nothing but plug Jake Tapper's book.' Elsewhere in his monologue, Wood told the winners — who knew they'd be winning ahead of time — to be short and sweet, joking, 'We want your acceptance speeches tonight to be brief and full of sincerities that you don't really mean, like an apology from Patti LuPone.' (The Broadway star apologized on Saturday for previous comments she had made about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald.) 'We're celebrating the storytellers who risk, who did, who investigate, who create and illuminate,' the comedian declared before launching into the categories, which featured a star-studded roster of presenters including Aloe Blacc, Anna Kendrick, Andrew Lack, Benito Skinner, Indya Moore, Joel KimBooster, Jurnee Smollett, Linda Perry, Mandy Moore, Marissa Bode, Michael Schur, Nava Mau, Niecy Nash, Randall Park, Stephen Merchant, Uzo Aduba, Van Jones and Yvonne Orji. The night also featured two special honors, the first being the Peabody Institutional Award, given to Saturday Night Live. Jon Hamm presented, musing the 'secret sauce of the show has always been 'holding up a mirror and reflecting America's culture to us — politics, contradictions, all of it, right back at you. Yes, SNL is wigs and cue cards and gigs and gags and all of this stuff, but it's always something that dares to confront who we really are.' Lorne Michaels was on hand to accept, accompanied on stage by alums Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon and Fred Armisen. 'I don't really deserve this, but in a way I do,' Michaels teased, noting, 'During SNL 50 this year, which is stunning to even say, all of those people coming back from the first season on, all being in one room, performing and applauding, I think was one of the most moving experiences of my life. I'm not planning a 60th, but I think that getting to do what I get to do is sort of everything that makes me happy; it also makes me angry.' To close out the night, Andrea Mitchell was given the Career Achievement Award, as she reflected on her early days in news and how far women have come in the business. She added, 'All of us journalists have to be fearless. It is no exaggeration to say that strong journalism, providing accurate information to the American people, is critical to the survival of our democracy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote to the continental Congress in 1787, 'Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.'' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
