Lydia West and T’Nia Miller are two of the latest favourites to become the Fourteenth Doctor, according to betting company, William Hill.
It’s no surprise, given that both West and Miller have worked with incoming showrunner, Russell T Davies, before, both on Years and Years (and West more recently on It’s A Sin). Davies has, of course, a history of casting actors he’s already worked with as the Doctor, i.e. Christopher Eccleston (The Second Coming) and David Tennant (Casanova).
William Hill cut West’s odds from 14-1 to 8-1 last week, after reportedly being the subject of a leaked email suggesting she was in poll position. Lydia previously voiced a character in the Big Finish audio story, The Sorcerer of Albion, from the Donna Noble: Kidnapped! set.
And Miller has actually been in Doctor Who before (not that that means anything either way): she was the regenerated General in Hell Bent, the first time we actually saw a gender change regeneration on screen.
However, Olly Alexander (It’s A Sin) remains the bookies’ favourite, at 1-2 odds, closely followed by Michael Sheen (2-1). Sheen’s name has often been linked to Doctor Who, perhaps because of his friendship with David Tennant, who he’s starred opposite in Staged and the Neil Gaiman-scripted drama, Good Omens.
Would Sheen have the time to play the next Doctor? After all, a second season of Good Omens is being made; then again, the 60th anniversary, for which Russell T Davies will take over from Chris Chibnall as showrunner, won’t start filming until next year.
Personally speaking, I think Lydia West is the most likely person in the running, but it might be a little while before we actually find out the identity of the Fourteenth Doctor…