Doctor Who Reportedly “Faces Axe” as Ncuti Gatwa “Quits” and Crew Is “Laid Off”

Doctor Who is “facing the axe”, with Ncuti Gatwa ready to quit the role, according to The Sun.

Their report states that recent series of Doctor Who have “suffered abysmal ratings,” largely attributing it to what they describe as “shoehorning wokery into storylines.” They do note BBC executives have postponed any final decision about the show’s future until after Gatwa’s second season airs later this year.

They claim that Gatwa has already filmed his exit regeneration (which could align with last month’s sudden reshoots on the 2025 finale).

An unnamed insider reportedly gave the reason for his apparent exit as, “Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.”

The source also suggested that Gatwa’s PR team is wary of the current backlash from the series, adding, “His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.”

Concerns were also raised about the show’s management, with the insider claiming, “The show has been poorly managed in recent years and there’s a lot of people who’ve been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership.” They added that warnings about certain episodes being “too caught up on an agenda rather than telling a story” were ignored.

Beyond Gatwa’s apparent departure, The Sun also reports uncertainty over whether Disney will renew its £100 million Doctor Who deal with the BBC (Which isn’t the first time we’ve heard this). Meanwhile, crew members working in Cardiff are reportedly frustrated, having been left in limbo after filming wrapped last week.

The insider stated, “Word on set is that the BBC will shelve the series for at least five years. The crew were told not to hold their breath for work on the series for at least ten years.” They added, “As we scramble to find work, those responsible get to ride off on to other well-paid projects without any repercussions. Filming wrapped on Friday afternoon, with no fanfare or celebration.”

Despite these claims, the Mirror says that a ‘BBC spokesperson’ denied the rumours, stating: “This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines.”

Notably, while this statement refutes the cancellation claims (at least until after Gatwa’s second season has aired), it does not specifically deny reports of his exit, leaving speculation about his departure unresolved.

With no further confirmation beyond this statement, it’s best, as always, to wait until more concrete information emerges.