After Russell T Davies revealed that there have indeed been conversations around the next Doctor Who showrunner, fans have continued to speculate and ponder just who could take up the helm of the long-running sci-fi series.

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While nothing has been confirmed, conversations have naturally turned to previous showrunners, and with Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall having been the only showrunners on the show since its revival in 2005, eyes have turned to Chibnall and Moffat.

But now, Moffat has confirmed that he "definitely" will not be the new showrunner of the show, having already served as such from 2010 to 2017.

Taking to X and in response to a fan who said they'd want "anyone but Steven Moffat" to take over, Moffat himself replied with: "Moffat must go. And I'M NOT EVEN THERE. And I definitely won't be, so all go and be horrible to someone else – It's not my turn any more."

Steven Moffat standing on the set of Doctor Who episode Boom, with a fiery and smoky backdrop of rubble, and actors and crew members out of focus behind him. He has a pair of headphones around his neck and is smiling at the camera.
Steven Moffat standing on the set of Doctor Who episode Boom. BBC Studios/James Pardon

With Moffat having recently returned to the series to pen Boom and the Christmas 2024 special, Joy to the World, we're sure it won't be the last we see of Moffat as a guest writer on the series, but it seems as though any hopes of him returning as a showrunner are well and truly quashed.

However, Moffat has previously said that he's not against the idea of returning to pen more exciting episodes. He spoke to RadioTimes.com at the 2025 Radio Times Covers Party and addressed the possibility, saying: "Have I got any more ideas? Well, I mean, there's an awful lot of scripts I've written, so I don't honestly know if I've got any more ideas, and I don't know if they'll want me, and I don't know what my schedule will be.

"So I don't know. I'm not against it, but I'm not especially saying it's gonna happen. I'm not even lying anymore!"

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It was just a number of days ago that Davies himself revealed that conversations around the next Doctor Who showrunner are ongoing, speaking to David Tennant in an episode of his podcast.

Davies admitted: "I'm not getting younger, darling ... But I will need to slow down at some point. That’ll come. Last time it was Steven Moffat [who replaced him], that wasn’t even a day’s work, like, 'Right, off you go!'"

He added: "There’s thinking about that, there’s conversations about that, but it’s hard. It’s a tricky one. But they better exist… imagine, I’m dead at the desk. The cliche would kill me!"

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Authors

Morgan Cormack
Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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