Doctor Who producer, Jane Tranter, says that Ncuti Gatwa’s audition for the part of the Fifteenth Doctor was “the audition of a lifetime”.

Tranter, who acts as a producer on the programme through her production company, Bad Wolf, recalls:

“I have never seen an audition tape — and I suspect I probably never will — which had more conviction, more star quality, more talent in it than Ncuti’s. For me, it was the audition of a lifetime.”

This sentiment was echoed by showrunner, Russell T Davies, who read with each acting trying out for the Doctor. Davies says that as soon as he was with Ncuti acting as the Doctor, he wanted to offer him the role:

“I actually wanted to put down the script and say, ‘You’ve got the part.’ I literally knew then.”

It’s pretty common for producers and showrunners to praise their lead stars, so these aren’t shocking statements, but they’re nonetheless fantastic to hear.

We’ve seen some of Gatwa in action — in his debut, The Giggle, and the Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road — but there’s lots more to come from the Sex Education actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing more aspects of his incarnation of the Time Lord.

Doctor Who Series 14 begins on 11th May in the UK, or 10th May elsewhere.