Doctor Who has had a rough go of it lately. The latest incarnation of the longest running sci fi series on television has faced racist and homophobic backlash from some viewers after the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa’s first Black and LGBTQ+ Doctor, the show’s viewership has been a bit shaky, and there has been some confusion over the series’ future with rumors swirling that the series has been shelved. There was also backlash about the exit of series star Millie Gibson but now, Gibson is setting the record straight and opening up about the “horrific” rumors.
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Speaking with The I Paper, Gibson reflected on her Doctor Who tenure, revealing that the speculation that she had been fired for “diva” behavior on set was difficult to deal with, not only because it was untrue but she couldn’t even defend herself because of spoilers.
“I couldn’t be like, ‘It’s a lie’ [because] they’d be like, ‘Well, that’s spoilers. It was quite hard to stand up for myself without ruining the show,” Gibson said. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is horrific because it just looks like it’s true.’”
She added, “Oh, it was awful. What was frustrating was the amount of people that were like, ‘Oh, sorry, this has happened mate,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah it’s not [happened], but thank you.’”
What Actually Happened With Gibson’s Doctor Who Role?
In early 2024, it was reported that Gibson, who had joined Doctor Who in the 2023 Christmas Special as companion Ruby Sunday, would be replaced by Andor and Jurassic World Dominion star Varada Sethu for subsequent seasons. It was shocking news, especially since there was a lot of mystery building around the character. However, while it had been announced that Gibson was being replaced, the reality was a bit different. Ruby chose to leave the TARDIS to be with family, but remained a part of the Doctor’s world, joining up with UNIT and went on to appear in the second season of Doctor Who along with Sethu, just in a less regular capacity.
Gibson explained that while it was difficult not being able to set the record straight at the time, she had support from Gatwa who was facing his own negative headlines and reactions after he was cast as the Doctor.
“He’s had his time with that, and it’s just about just being able to try and shut it out,” Gibson said.
Will Doctor Who Return?
At the moment, the future of Doctor Who is uncertain. The second season of the series (aka Series 15 under the old numbering pattern) ended with Gatwa’s Doctor regenerating into a body that looks suspiciously similar to that of previous companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). However, that surprising ending is something that former Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman recently suggested means the show is “probably as dead as we’ve ever known it.” However, series producer Jane Tranter recently spoke out calling those claims untrue, though she did note that decisions about the future of Doctor Who still need to be made once the spinoff miniseries, The War Between the Land and the Sea, airs.
While Tranter’s comments are a bit more positive and feels like a positive sign that there could be more Doctor Who to come, there are still a lot of unknowns. The current iteration of Doctor Who is part of a partnership between Disney and BBC, but there are only five episodes of that partnership remaining (those episodes belonging to The War Between the Land and the Sea). At this time, it’s unclear if Disney is going to sign on for more Doctor Who after those episodes, which could be a key component of whether or not the iconic television series returns.
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