Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa breaks his silence over reports that his co-star Millie Gibson is leaving the show. Gatwa made his debut in the 60th-anniversary special as the Fifteenth Doctor, while Gibson appeared in the 2023 Christmas special as Ruby Sunday. The latter episode set up Ruby to become the Fifteenth Doctor’s first companion. She will be his main companion in season 14, which has already finished filming. It was believed the pair were filming season 15 together beginning in October 2023, making the news that Gibson was being written out of the series quite surprising.
As those early reports emerged, Gatwa took to his Instagram Story to subtly respond to the reports, resharing an old photo of Gibson and him dressed in disco outfits while filming Doctor Who season 14.
He paired the throwback photo with a simple caption, “My lil,” paired with a heart emoji. The heartwarming response doesn’t directly address the news but appears to be a gesture of support towards Gibson.
Everything We Know About Millie Gibson’s Doctor Who Exit
Since Gatwa’s post, it has been confirmed that Gibson is leaving Doctor Who after season 14. The Mirror was the first to raise the news, though since its report came from an insider, it was considered a rumor. Meanwhile, the insider claimed that Gibson had been fired from the show and that it was showrunner Russell T. Davies’ decision to write her out. She allegedly won’t be in the 2024 Christmas special and will only be in the 15 episodes of the season she already filmed before departing.
The latest Doctor Who cast update reveals that Gibson will be replaced by Varada Sethu, who will portray a new companion in season 15. While Gibson will remain the companion through season 14, it is unclear if she will be in the Christmas 2024 special or any portion of season 15. Meanwhile, an official explanation has yet to be given as to why she is departing the show so soon. Neither BBC nor Gibson have publicly responded to the news.
While the news is surprising, she is far from the only companion to serve less than two seasons. For example, aside from a few special appearances, Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones departed the show after just one season, as did fan favorite Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Additionally, high companion turnover was common during Davies’ initial run as a showrunner. Therefore, he may have simply planned a shorter story arc for her as he has traditionally done in the past. Gibson’s surprising Doctor Who exit raises many questions, but Gatwa’s heartwarming response raises hope it wasn’t a sour departure.
Doctor Who
- Release Date
- November 23, 1963
- Cast
- Jenna Coleman , Jodie Whittaker , Alex Kingston , David Tennant , Matt Smith , Peter Capaldi
- Seasons
- 26
- Franchise
- Doctor Who
- Story By
- Sydney Newman C. E. Webber Donald Wilson
- Writers
- Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Neil Cross , Steven Moffat , Chris Chibnall
- Network
- BBC
