LONDON (AP) 鈥� A familiar face to 鈥淒octor Who鈥� fans is rejoining the long-running British sci-fi series as Ncuti Gatwa exits the lead role after two seasons.
In Saturday鈥檚 season finale, Gatwa鈥檚 Time Lord regenerated and fans got a glimpse of Billie Piper, who played the character Rose Tyler for 35 episodes between 2005 and 2013. Tyler was a companion to versions of the doctor played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.
Producers are keeping Piper's new role secret 鈥� for now.
鈥淛ust how and why she is back remains to be seen,鈥� the BBC said in a statement after the finale aired.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told,鈥� showrunner Russell T Davies said in a statement.
Piper said 鈥淒octor Who鈥� has provided some of her best memories and she couldn鈥檛 pass up the opportunity to come back.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return ... but who, how, why and when, you鈥檒l just have to wait and see,鈥� she said.
If Piper does indeed become the Doctor, she would be the third woman to fill the famous shoes.
The Rwanda-born, Scotland-raised Gatwa, 29, was the first Black actor to helm the show, but he wasn鈥檛 the first Black Doctor 鈥� Jo Martin played 鈥淔ugitive Doctor鈥� in several episodes. Gatwa took over the role from Jodie Whittaker in 2023.
Whittaker 鈥� and to play the central galaxy-hopping, extraterrestrial Time Lord who regenerates into new bodies, taking over in 2017. Martin was the second woman.
鈥淒octor Who鈥� first aired from 1963 to 1989 and returned in 2005. In the U.S., new episodes air on Disney+.
The Associated Press
