April 07, 2025
The Doctor is in! Get ready for Season 2 with a Q&A with Ncuti Gatwa…
Ahead of Doctor Who’s return on Saturday 12th April, we spoke to Ncuti Gatwa about his second full season as the Doctor, working with a brand-new companion, and the highlights of his time in the TARDIS so far. Scroll on to read more…
Looking back on your first year as the Doctor, what have been the most surprising or defining moments for you in the role?
Certainly the first scenes shot in the interior of the TARDIS. It just felt so epic and monumental to be at the helm of that console which has been going for 60 years.
I’d also say that first club scene when Ruby sees the Doctor for the first time, because I’d never seen anything like that on Doctor Who before. It felt very much like Russell was ushering in a new era for the show, and it felt very much like an opportunity to put my stamp on the character. It was nice to see the beginning sparks of the new Doctor and companion relationship. I’d say that was one of the defining moments for me. Plus, any scene I did with Bonnie Langford was incredibly defining for the show – I think I’m like her fourth Doctor, so I’m really part of the canon now.
Also, I guess the scope of the show. Going out to America to do the press tour, I was very surprised at how much it has a fanbase there and a fanbase everywhere. Whenever you are in America and you hear an American voice talk about Doctor Who, it’s always kind of confusing. So that is really cool.
And just the immediate reception and love that each new Doctor gets as soon as they’re cast is a lovely thing to walk into.
Going into the second season, will we see any new sides to the Doctor/is there anything new you’re bringing to the role?
Yes, we saw a little bit of it in Joy To The World. I think there are a couple of moments when he gets quite mean in order to achieve the greater good.
There are moments when you see darker elements of the Doctor or his more vindictive elements, which was exciting because I hadn’t seen that before, or that the Doctor has that in him. Of course, we know them as a hero and a good guy, but the Doctor is a humanoid lifeform and therefore a complex emotional being who has dark elements to them as well. It’s interesting to play with that this season.
Where do we find the Doctor at the beginning of the season?
We find the Doctor in a hospital searching for his companion, he’s alone but he’s got a mission. He just left Bethlehem, as you do, and he’s had this beautiful journey with Anita and Joy whereby he learnt a lot about himself and notices he’s a lonely character – so he’s on a search for a new friend and companion.
This season introduces viewers to a new companion, Belinda Chandra played by Varada Sethu. What was it like stepping on set with Varada for the first time?
It was really weird stepping onto set for the first time with Varada because she had been on the Doctor Who set before, and we had spent like a month or two months working together. So, it felt weirdly familiar. We also got on really well when we first worked together.
It was exciting as well, I felt a bit like a kid – you know when you show your friend your favourite film, and you talk all the way through it telling them ‘This is going to happen’ and ‘This is going to happen’, so it felt like that – it was a very excitable time.
It was such an excitable energy in the air from everyone, everyone was excited by this fresh energy to enter the Whoniverse and she smashed it.
What can fans expect from the dynamic between the Doctor and Belinda? How is this relationship different (or similar) from his relationship with Ruby Sunday?
I think the viewers can expect to see the Doctor challenged by Belinda in a way that he hasn’t been before. He’s very used to sort of charming his way out of anything and getting what he wants, but Belinda doesn’t want to be in a spaceship with him – she wants to go home and be on Earth and get to her shift, and has no interest in exploring the universe with a madman that breaks all his promises.
So, I guess it’s different from Ruby because Belinda has accumulated more responsibilities throughout her life. She’s at the stage in her life where she has responsibilities, and isn’t interested in flying around the universe. It’s an interesting dynamic.
It starts quite push and pull. I think with Ruby and the Doctor it was like two magnets attracted to each other, and this one is like they’re trying to figure each other out. The amount the Doctor learns from Belinda about himself, and the less desirable qualities about himself, actually helps him to grow. Each companion helps the Doctor to grow, but this one is in a very different way because he’s learning about the sides of him that aren’t great.
What new outfits can we expect the Doctor to wear this season, and what were some of your favourite looks?
You can expect the Doctor to pay homage to an actor who plays his roots! [Laughs] He’s in a kilt this season which is very exciting.
You can expect a different look every episode this year, one that is as always very suited for his adventures. It’s really interesting to see what each costume brings out of you as an actor and how it informs the story, so it was nice to continue that fashion journey with the Doctor.
This season has some great guest stars. What can you tell us about working with them?
Rylan! Rylan is a great actor and took me by surprise. He just absolutely gave his heart and soul to it, and I was shocked to discover he is a huge Whovian. He is the loveliest, loveliest, loveliest man, his energy stayed on set for a little while, everyone kind of felt the love for Rylan, so it was really nice to work with him.
Rose (Ayling-Ellis)… It was brilliant to work with Rose and amazing to learn British Sign Language. I was very much struck by how much of a better way it is to communicate. It feels so much more heartfelt and emotive and expressive. She is so hilarious and talented and brilliant.
Jonah (Hauer-King) was a real pleasure to work with and again the loveliest loveliest boy. Everyone who has joined this season – and there are still some surprises to come – have been great.
Without giving too much away, can you share a few hints about what fans can expect from Season 2?
This season is so exciting because they go to places on Earth that we haven’t seen the Doctor go to before. There are plot points and journeys in this season that are very intrinsic to the Fifteenth Doctor’s iteration. There are layers peeled back from the Doctor and his life, both the Doctor as a whole’s life and Fifteen.
Do you have a favourite location that the Doctor visits this season?
I did and that was Lagos, Nigeria. It’s where he goes to get his haircut, which is also my favourite thing to do!
It was exciting because it is a very new part of Doctor Who lore. It’s ironic that we have a character that is an alien, and him and his spaceship are able to mould into any time and place everywhere and blend in seamlessly. But I guess Fifteen, Thirteen and the Fugitive Doctor are three Doctors who can’t do that. So this is a relatively new experience for the Doctor to not just blend in everywhere. So story wise, that was very interesting for me to portray going to Nigeria because that’s somewhere on Earth where he feels more at home. Also, the TARDIS in Africa is a great thing.
If you could describe season two in one word, what would it be?
Revealing…
Are there any big shocks in the season?
There are big shocks, yes – and I can't tell you any, you’ll just have to watch and see…
Is this season scary? Which monster or villain did you find the scariest?
I think this season is scarier than last season. There is a chilling quality that runs across the whole season, it feels more psychologically chilling. I would say my favourite monster is the one from The Well. It’s like a psychological thriller.
Is there a certain message that you hope viewers take away from this season?
Yes, a work life balance is important as we see through the wonderful character of Belinda Chandra! [Laughs].
Audiences can watch season one and two of Doctor Who on BBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK and stream it on Disney+ across the globe (where available). How excited are you for global audiences to be able to see more of the Doctor’s adventures?
I am so excited for the global audience to be a part of the Doctor’s adventures, because they are epic! It’s a show like none other in the world, so everyone in the world should watch this one. There is something for everybody. The variety of places the Doctor goes allows for the bringing in of new audiences and communities across the globe.
I’m excited for the world to see our wee British show that is brilliant, I am excited for them to see the work we do here in Cardiff, Wales.
Doctor Who returns on Saturday 12th April on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and Disney+ where available. Find out more here.
