Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies says casting Ncuti Gatwa was a 'risk'

Russell T. Davies reveals casting Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who was a 'risk' due to his packed schedule

Russell T. Davies has confessed that it was a "risk" to cast 'Sex Education' actor Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who, due to the challenges posed by his hectic filming schedule.

31 year old Ncuti, known for his role as Eric Effiong in 'Sex Education', took on the TARDIS next, and Russell acknowledged that they had to work around his earlier commitments. However, he still stands firm on his decision, citing Ncuti as the perfect choice for the 15th Timelord.

Speaking to Doctor Who magazine, Russell relayed: "Casting Ncuti meant casting him before he'd finished on 'Sex Education'. That was a risk that we took, but it was absolutely the right risk, because it meant we got the best possible Doctor in 2024 that we could wish for."

Thanks to Ncuti's unavailability, Russell managed to bring to life an idea he had been nursing for '73 Yards', putting Millie Gibson's Ruby Tuesday in the spotlight. He went on: "I love a Doctor-lite episode. But, let's face it, if Ncuti had been available, we would never have done a Doctor-lite episode in season 1.."

Explaining the idea behind the episode, he said: "And the marvellous thing was, I'd had this idea kicking around for ages, of the Doctor and his companion stepping outside the TARDIS and seeing someone in the distance. But I could never make it work with two people. So when it became Doctor-lite when it was just Ruby, and we were able to follow her whole life it sort of freed itself. Also, I thought there was a nice balance, pairing it with 'Boom', which is such a character piece for the Doctor. That ended up dictating the shape of the series: a Doctor-heavy episode, followed by a Ruby-heavy episode."

Russell was delighted by Millie's "stunning" performance in the episode. He added: "And I have to say, Millie is absolutely sensational. She walked in, from Coronation Street, onto leading this. No offence to Coronation Street, but that's a big old runaway train, where you're part of a cast of 70 or more. And suddenly, you're in a cast of one, practically."

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