When Ncuti Gatwa's casting as Doctor Who's new Doctor was announced earlier this month, it seemed to come out of the blue, with a crytpic Tweet setting off a day of revelations and press.
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Now, Russell T Davies has spoken about the behind-the-scenes preparation and planning that went into the reveal, noting the importance of the announcement being made the same day as the BAFTA Television Awards ceremony, and how tense the team had been at the idea the news could lead.
In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine's Production Notes column, Davies called Gatwa's reveal "a spectacular operation", noting that the plan was to "release a cryptic post online at 11:30am. Let that go viral. Then an official statement at 12:30pm, released to the press.
"My mate Stefan texted me, always ready with a complaint. 'Bit low-key,' he said. Oh you wait, I thought, as we hit 13:30 and… Flash, bang, pop, scream, the new Doctor walked onto the biggest red carpet in the world! People going crazy for him! That was quite a sight, camera crews and microphones and journalists in the blazing sunshine yelling, 'Ncuti! Ncuti!'"
Ncuti Gatwa BBC
Davies acknowledged that the reveal took a "hell of a lot of planning" and said "the fact that we had to do all this in secret meant we were rattling with tension. Not only had Ncuti’s name not been leaked, but he hadn’t even been guessed. His casting had been locked away, since February, with all of us worrying that it would be spoiled, any day now.
Davies previously confirmed to RadioTimes.com and other press that he also planted "a few false stories", "false tales" and "a couple of misleading things" in order to keep Gatwa's casting a secret, saying "we're very pleased that that kind of worked."
You can read the full notes in Doctor Who Magazine's latest issue, available to purchase now.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
