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BBC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dr Who: Finale shocks fans and here's why
WARNING: This article contains Doctor Who Gatwa has said goodbye to the Tardis as it's revealed he is stepping down as The Doctor after 18 months in the the series finale, the Doctor regenerated into a familiar face after making the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of a little the episode, the Doctor seemed to regenerate into Rose Tyler - an old companion to the ninth and tenth Doctors 20 years ago, who is played by actor Billie credit at the end of the programme said: "Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper".It's left the series on a cliffhanger as fans wonder how and why she's did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below! Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the 15th Doctor in May first appeared on our screens as part of the show's 60th anniversary celebrations in November was the first bi-generation which saw him split from the 14th Doctor, played by David 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."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. "I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor." It's still unclear whether Billie Piper will be playing the 16th Doctor and become the third woman to play the role. In a statement she 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."She first appeared on the show back in 2005 alongside Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant as companion Rose Tyler. Doctor Who showrunner and head writer Russell T Davies said: "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!"
BreakingNews.ie
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Billie Piper: From Doctor Who sidekick to Time Lord
Billie Piper – who returned to Doctor Who when the 15th Doctor Ncuti Gatwa regenerated – shot to fame in 1998 at the age of 15 with the release of her debut pop single Because We Want To. The chart topper was followed by another number one single, Girlfriend, and her platinum selling debut album Honey To The B. Advertisement But she then moved into acting, later saying it was what she wanted to do most, and her breakthrough role came as the companion to Doctor Who in 2005. Piper, from Swindon, played Rose Tyler, the sidekick to the ninth and tenth Doctors, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. Billie Piper with David Tennant (Barry Batchelor/PA) Rose was a feisty shop assistant who developed a strong bond with the Time Lord and kissed him at one stage. Piper won the award for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards in 2005 and 2006 for the role. Advertisement She later starred in the ITV series Secret Diary Of A Call Girl from 2007 to 2011, playing an escort in London. She made her directorial debut in 2019 with Rare Beasts, a dark comedy drama she also wrote and starred in. Last year, she portrayed Newsnight producer Sam McAlister in Netflix's Scoop, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of Emily Maitlis's momentous interview with the Duke of York. Piper's performance earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards. Advertisement
BreakingNews.ie
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Billie Piper appears to be new Doctor as Ncuti Gatwa leaves Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa has left Doctor Who and said he 'loved every minute of it' as he is seen regenerating into Billie Piper in the season finale. Piper, 42, first appeared in the series as the companion to the ninth Doctor in 2005, playing Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston's Time Lord – and then again for the 10th Doctor played by David Tennant. Advertisement Piper appeared to replace Gatwa, who leaves Doctor Who after two seasons in the science-fiction series, as she arrived on screen with the words 'Oh, hello!'. 🔥 SPOILERS! 🔥 Watch the moment we said goodbye to the Fifteenth Doctor and hello to... #DoctorWho — Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) May 31, 2025 Piper 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.' Shortly after the finale aired, the actress shared a post on Instagram holding a rose with the caption that read: 'A rose is a rose is a rose !!!' Born in Rwanda before moving to Scotland, Gatwa's time on the long-running science fiction programme came to an end as The Reality War episode brought this season to a close on Saturday. Advertisement The two-part season finale saw the Doctor face the Rani in a battle to save the world after making the decision to save the life of one little girl. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Billie Piper (@billiepiper) As he bid farewell to companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu, he said: 'I hope you'll see me again, but not like this.' Speaking about his decision to leave the series, 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. Advertisement '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. I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.' The finale also saw Jodie Whittaker, the 13th doctor, make a guest appearance as Gatwa's Doctor appeared to be travelling through alternate universes. Ncuti Gatwa attending the premiere of Doctor Who season two (Ian West/PA) The credit at the end of the programme said: 'Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper.' Sex Education and Barbie star Gatwa has played the 15th Doctor since Scottish actor David Tennant bi-generated in 2023, after his version of the character was brought back to life as the 14th Doctor. Advertisement Whittaker, the first woman to play the Time Lord, announced in July 2021 that she would depart after three series as the 13th Doctor. Russell T Davies, Doctor Who showrunner, 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. '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!' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Millie Gibson (@milliegibbo) Actress Millie Gibson, who plays Ruby Sunday – one of the companions to Gatwa's Doctor, shared a post on Instagram with photographs of the two together adding that the actor made the character 'even more special'. Advertisement She wrote: 'Nothing can put into words the experience we've shared. I am forever grateful to have been a part of it and watched you bloom into the fabulous Doctor the world has got to know and adore. 'You have made this incredible character even more special with who you are and how good you wear clothes. 'You're my forever friend and doctor and I'll be here cheering you on watching you on your further successes with every new companion you meet along the way. Thank you for taking me to the stars.' Gatwa will soon star in the West End premiere of Born With Teeth, a play that re-imagines the relationship between rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Since Piper left the Whoniverse, she starred in the ITV series, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, and portrayed Newsnight producer Sam McAlister in Netflix's Scoop, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of Emily Maitlis' momentous interview with Britain's Prince Andrew.
NZ Herald
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Billie Piper returns as Doctor Who in dramatic series finale reveal
Billie Piper, who played sidekick Rose to David Tennant's Doctor Who is now returning in the titular role. Photo Supplied Billie Piper will play the next Doctor Who after a dramatic reveal at the end of the latest series. The actress, 42, who previously played Rose Tyler, the sidekick to the ninth and 10th Doctors, played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, will be making her return to the Tardis.
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Doctor Who finale review: Goodbye Ncuti Gatwa, hello Billie Piper – assuming the show survives
Amid mounting speculation about actor Ncuti Gatwa's future on Doctor Who (BBC One), an overwrought mess of a finale saw him regenerate into the show's next star – played, in a head-swivelling plot twist, by ex-companion Billie Piper. As the BBC continuity announcer said: 'What? What? ' The credits rolled on a whopping great cliffhanger – but one more about the show's future than the identity of the next Time Lord. With ratings in freefall, scripts slammed for 'wokery' and Gatwa's portrayal of the 15th Doctor misfiring, his short-lived Tardis tenure came to a creaky, confusing close. Thankfully, it saved some surprises for the final few minutes, due to the brief return of the 13th Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and the shock reveal of the 16th Doctor. It could only have been more surprising if Gary Lineker had been seconded from Match of the Day or Gregg Wallace from MasterChef. Time travel doesn't get tougher than this. Piper previously played much-loved companion Rose Tyler who, in 2010, was left behind in a parallel universe with a part-human David Tennant clone (I know, I know). How she has now turned into a Time Lord will take some explaining. Showrunner Russell T Davies is desperately raiding his address book to help rescue the cult show. Tennant and Catherine Tate returned two years ago. Now he paid the Piper. Well, if all else fails, play your greatest hits. A patchy – and, for the franchise, potentially fatal – series meandered to its climax with an extended 70-minute episode titled 'The Reality War'. If you could keep track of what the heck was happening, you're a better man than I am and perhaps should apply for Davies's position forthwith. We last saw the Doctor tumbling from a tower in the sky. A perplexing penultimate episode had seen The Rani, a rogue Time Lord who'd split herself into two, snatch a baby who was actually Desiderium, the God of Wishes. She used the stolen infant to build a fake Stepford-style reality, with online conspiracy theorist Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King) installed as its Big Brother figure. Into this authoritarian dystopia, she dropped the brainwashed Doctor so his doubts could crack open reality, enabling the Rani to see into the 'underverse' and unleash Omega, another renegade Time Lord. Are we paying attention at the back? It wasn't what you'd call a straightforward plan. Davies threw a cast of dozens at the noggin-scratching narrative. By my count, we had not one but five villains versus the Doctor, plus countless companions. Talk about overstuffed and overpopulated. A stop-start finale found the Doctor risking everything to save one innocent life: Poppy, his daughter from the fabricated reality. It was never satisfactorily explained how the toddler came into being, but the Doctor and her 'mother', companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), moved heaven and earth to save her. Poppy was wiped from existence, then she wasn't. By the end, it was hard to care, no matter how cute she was. As for Omega, he bore no resemblance to the iron-masked monster who last appeared on screen 42 years prior. Instead he'd become a sort of giant zombie, swiftly zapped back to whence he came. Underwhelming doesn't cover it. At least leather-clad villainess The Rani (Archie Panjabi) got some good lines. She called the Doctor a 'strutting little pompadour' who spouted 'mimosa-scented platitudes about the power of love'. You'll find no arguments here. The first half hour mainly comprised characters standing around, spouting exposition at one another. What happened to 'show not tell'? Davies plotted his way into corners, before making his characters talk him out of them. Proceedings ended not on a big bang but a timey-wimey whimper. Reality was repeatedly 'reset', resulting in several endings rather than one. All the meddling caused a 'time schism', hence the brief return of Gatwa's predecessor Whittaker. Their scene together in the Tardis was poignant, if gratuitous. A homecoming for the Doctor's granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) had been teased but didn't materialise. At least with Whittaker and Piper parachuted back in, the future of the franchise looks female. Eventually, if viewers were still awake, the regeneration came. 'It's been an honour, a nightmare and a triumph,' said Gatwa. Not inaccurate, except perhaps the triumph part. As ethereal music swelled and more CGI was deployed, he morphed into Piper. 'Oh hello,' she grinned with a devilish twinkle. But was it too little, too late? All in all, Gatwa's premature departure – he lasted a mere 18 episodes and never even got to face the Daleks – felt hastily cobbled together and his regeneration fudged. It's now rumoured that Disney could cut off the cash that has been helping fund this latest iteration of the BBC stalwart, and Doctor Who will be 'rested' for only the second time in its 62-year history. This chaotic, compromised climax leaves it in a perilous position. This might have been the last episode for a long time, making it an even greater shame that it was such a sprawling stinker.
