Russell T Davies Reveals Master Plan For Gatwa's Doctor Who Announcement

screenrant.com:

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies sheds light on the months-long plan created for the announcement of Ncuti Gatwa’s casting. Gatwa will premiere as the next Doctor when the new Doctor Who season 14 airs in 2023. He will take over from Jodie Whittaker, who is finishing her run in the iconic role after playing the series’ titular Time Lord for the past three seasons. 

Gatwa’s casting as the new Doctor was announced earlier this month in a shock social media post. This surprised many, as a Twitter announcement of the actor next taking on the lead role was a first for Doctor Who. What's more, a few years ago, the 29-year-old British actor was largely unknown. In 2019, he starred in the breakout Netflix hit Sex Education, playing Eric Effiong, best friend and sidekick to protagonist Otis (Asa Butterfield). Sex Education become a global success, likely leading to Gatwa's casting as the new Doctor. His entry also marks Davies' highly-anticipated return as Doctor Who showrunner, after he originally revived the series back in 2005.

Related: Sex Education Proves Ncuti Gatwa Is Just What Doctor Who Needs

Now, Davies has revealed more details about the planned announcement for Gatwa’s Doctor Who casting. The series kept Gatwa's confirmation under wraps from February 2022. According to Radio Times, Davies even “planted a few false stories" in order to keep audiences guessing. It took an immense amount of planning and foresight to ensure that the reveal wasn't leaked, as the returning showrunner wanted to make the announcement during the BAFTA Television Awards ceremony. In a pre-planned move, a cryptic tweet was released online at 11:30am, followed by the official statement at 12:30pm. Read Davies' comments below:

«My mate