The next Doctor has already been cast according to former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies
Russell T Davies teases that he 'knows who it is' – not that he's giving away the secret just yet...
Who’ll be the next star of Doctor Who? Could a woman play the Doctor? How will the new Doctor differ from Peter Capaldi’s incarnation? How much longer do we have to go round and round these same old questions?
We can't tell you – but former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies might.
The former Who showrunner dropped quite the bombshell recently during an interview at the LGBT Awards, implying that the role has finally been cast.
Speaking about Capaldi's replacement, Davies teased, "I do know who it is".
However, the writer remained tight-lipped on further clues, batting off questions about who exactly the actor could be.
Davies knows the game he's playing: before claiming that he knows who the new Doctor is, he said, "I think having worked on it I am leaving it to them, and every time you pass any sort of comment on Doctor Who they go mad. They literally phone me up and go, ‘Will you stop talking about it in public Russell?’”
Wonder if he'll be getting another phone call this morning? Skip to 4.07 in the video to see the key exchange with interviewer Andy West.
So who’ll be taking control of the Tardis? The early rumours were pointing towards Death in Paradise star Kris Marshall, although speculation has recently dampened down.
If a woman were to wield the sonic screwdriver, fans have been favouring the likes of Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
However, former Doctor Who star David Tennant says Colman "probably has other things to do", while Waller-Bridge is currently gearing up for the Star Wars Han Solo spin-off movie.
Whoever it is, there’s a chance we’ll see them in action soon. Capaldi will certainly make way in the Christmas special later this year.
The next episode of Doctor Who, The Eaters of Light, will air on Saturday 17th June at 6.45pm on BBC1
Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.