Russell T Davies praises Ncuti Gatwa’s first Doctor Who read-through

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Despite having filmed Doctor Who on location on 17 December, Ncuti Gatwa had his first full Doctor Who read-through only recently, according to an interview with Russell T Davies published in GQ on 27 January.

“Last night we had Ncuti’s first read-through. He’s so unbelievably stunning. I can’t wait for you to see him. He just lifts your hair off your head. He’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, in every sense. So, very excited.”

It’s unclear when the GQ interview took place but we do know Ncuti Gatwa was present at Wolf Studios Wales sometime around 15 January.

Gatwa was recently photographed filming Doctor Who with Mille Gibson and the TARDIS prop on the Coast Path in Pembrokeshire on 23 January.

Part of the reason Gatwa’s first read-through was recent is likely because he has been filming Sex Education since early August 2022. Sex Education is expected to wrap filming February 2023.

Davies spoke of his excitement for upcoming episodes of Doctor Who.

“I’m really proud of it. Oh my god, there are some strong episodes coming up.”

Davies also spoke of plans for future Doctor Who spin-offs.

“I thought the streaming platforms are ready, the spin-offs are ready; I always believed in spin-offs when I was there. I did Torchwood as a spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures as a spin-off. Those spin-offs declined when I left, and I can see why. And I very much left after 2008, when the money became scarce, I think that’s fair enough for the public service broadcaster that the money is spent on other things.”

“But now, it wasn’t my idea, it was the BBC’s notion to go for a streamer [Disney+] to invest in the show worldwide, which I completely agree with.”

Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor. In the following festive period, Ncuti Gatwa will star in his first full Doctor Who episode as the Fifteenth Doctor.