THE first images of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor in the upcoming series of Doctor Who have been released by the BBC.
They show Rwandan-Scottish actor Gatwa – who is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – alongside co-star Millie Gibson, who plays Ruby Sunday.
The duo appear to have taken a trip on the Tardis back to the 1960s, with Gatwa sporting an afro, moustache and striped suit.
Gatwa was cast in the leading role in May 2022 and will be the first black male Doctor Who as well as the fourth Scottish actor to play the title character.
Born in Kigali, Rwanda in 1992, Gatwa’s family settled in Scotland after escaping the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
He shot to fame as Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education and has since snatched other high-profile roles, including a part in the hotly-anticipated Barbie movie set to come out this summer.
The BBC has announced that Gatwa will take over as the Doctor during three special episodes set to air over the festive season of 2023.
He will then return in 2024 for a full season of the show.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here