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Doctor Who fans ‘conflicted’ over first look at Ncuti Gatwa as new doctor

BBC released official images of the ‘Sex Education’ star as the 15th Doctor

Nicole Vassell
Sunday 18 December 2022 09:54 GMT
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‘It’s nice to finally breathe’: Ncuti Gatwa speaks about new Doctor Who role

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Doctor Who fans have been given a first look at Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor.

The Sex Education star was revealed to be the next Time Lord back in May.

Ever since, fans of the show have clamoured for any insights into Gatwa’s time in the Tardis.

On Saturday (17 December), the official social media accounts for the BBC programme shared the first images of Gatwa as the Doctor and Millie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday.

The Doctor is shown to wear a brown tweed suit, with a bright orange jumper underneath.

A second image, with Ruby pictured, shows her in a white jumper and denim shorts with tights, topped with a fleece-lined denim jacket.

Supporters of the series wasted no time in sharing their opinions about the new characters on social media, with many commending the sleek, colourful look of the Doctor’s outfit.

“This is a *good* Doctor look. Perfect mix of quirky academic and dashing hero,” one fan reasoned.

Another pointed out that the simplicity of the Doctor’s look makes it easier for more people to replicate. They added: “I like that they’ve gone for something relatively simple, and therefore accessible for cosplayers and kids who don’t have a huge budget.”

Elsewhere, a fan commended the suit for having a subtle nod to Gatwa’s Scottish upbringing, tweeting: “Love it. There's something subtly Scottish in Ncuti's look, with the tweed, with a touch of Sherlock Holmes, but the jumper give it a Shaft kind of look, and just looks absolutely right. Win!”

However, for some, the jury is still out on whether the new Doctor’s look is as exciting as they’d hoped.

“Was expecting a bit more eccentric, but he looks so good!” wrote one fan. “Really hope they give 15 loads of different looks instead of just changing the jumper.”

Another Twitter user added: “Hmmm, not the kind of outfit I would I expected. First impression in the moment was kind of conflicted, but the more I look at it… idk it is slowly growing on me I think. Gonna need some time.”

Coronation Street actor Millie Gibson was announced as the new companion during Children in Need in November.

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Doctor Who is set to return in November 2023 with three special episodes to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary.

David Tennant, who was initially the 10th Doctor, will return as the 14th Doctor for those episodes, before Gatwa begins his tenure as the 15th Doctor from the 2023 festive period.

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