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NCUTI GATWA HAS BEEN REPLACED BY BILLIE PIPER AS THE DOCTOR IN DOCTOR WHO AFTER HIS CHARACTER REGENERATED IN THE SEASON 14 FINALE OF THE LONG-RUNNING BBC SHOW ANDY GILPIN Deputy Editor in
Chief 20:27, 31 May 2025Updated 20:28, 31 May 2025 Actress Billie Piper is set to take the helm as the new Doctor, following Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration in the season finale of Doctor
Who. Piper, 42, starred as the companion to the ninth Doctor in 2005, playing Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston's Time Lord. She now steps into the TARDIS as the second female
Doctor after Jodie Whittaker's stint as the 13th incarnation. Taking over from Gatwa, Piper returns to the Whoniverse as he departs the beloved sci-fi series after a two-season run.
Originally from Rwanda and later relocating to Scotland, Gatwa's tenure on the iconic show concluded with The Reality War episode, wrapping up this season last Saturday. In the gripping
two-part season finale, the Doctor clashed with the Rani in a desperate fight to save the planet, spurred by his choice to rescue a young girl. Article continues below As Gatwa's
Doctor parted ways with companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu, he left her with the words: "I hope you'll see me again, but not like this." The climactic episode
also featured a surprise appearance from Whittaker, the 13th Doctor, as Gatwa's iteration seemed to navigate through alternate realities. Billie 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." After Doctor Who was broadcast, Billie Piper posted on Instagram "A rose is a rose is a rose !!!" with images
from her previous time on the show playing the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler. Billie Piper - who has been revealed as the new Doctor Who - 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. 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. 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. Article continues below 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.