Anthony Liptow May 25th, 2025 - 12:59 PM
Amid spiraling viewership ratings for Doctor Who, Deadline has reported growing speculation fueled by British tabloids, most notably The Sun, stating that Scotland raised actor Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie, Sex Education) has been sacked. More precisely, The Sun reported, “Doctor Who exterminated – BBC bin star Ncuti after Eurovision row.”
Tomorrow’s front page: Doctor Who exterminated – BBC bin star Ncuti after Eurovision row
Read more: https://t.co/LujJz1bGPJ pic.twitter.com/xDAQThGbS5
— The Sun (@TheSun) May 22, 2025
Eurovision row is a reference to Gatwa’s participation, or rather lack of participation, in the Eurovision Song Contest. The controversy stems from Israel’s involvement in the contest. Many have called for a boycott of the event due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. The Daily Mail reports that Gatwa pulled out of the event at the last moment due to unforeseen circumstances, although there have been suggestions that his decision came abruptly after Ms. Rapheal, an October 7th attack survivor who hid under dead bodies, made it to the finals. Gatwa has been public about his support, celebrities4palestine details him sharing pictures of “Free Palestine” graffiti on his Instagram.
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The Sun speculates that the reason for the drop in ratings for the long-time classic is due to its alleged “woke agenda” and the fact that it transferred to Disney. Disney has been scrutinized lately for this also, most recently chronicled by the abysmal box office performance of their Snow White live action remake which Deadline reported to have lost $115 million. Newsweek details the involvement of the alleged “woke agenda” in the movie. Critics have spoken out about casting an actress of Latin descent, Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Spellbound), when Snow White is supposed to be the “fairest of them all.” They also railed against her liberal antics, sharing a post on her Instagram calling for President Trump voters to “know no peace.” This during a time when conservative analysts are trying to draw a connection between the actual violence against Trump and his cabinet and special staff and the rhetoric from the left.
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The recent episodes of Doctor Who have also been criticized for their woke agenda. Yahoo reports the show has been criticized for alleged DEI practices by possibly casting the first female and black Time Lord as a form of inclusion and not based on merit. They claim the show has also been criticized for its woke storylines that have seen aliens with pronouns, transgender and LGBTQ characters, and even a drag queen villain. They claim that even previously established lore has been rewritten to fit into the woke agenda. They attribute this to the loss of millions of viewers.
The Sun also says their insiders claim that Disney will not be renewing the show. Although Deadline reports that BBC has once again stated that no decisions involving renewal will be made until season 15 has finished screening. They claim that any opinion contrary is purely speculative.
According to The Daily Mail, Gatwa has broken his silence on the issue. Finally posting pictures of cast mates asking if anyone else was under a gag order. Deadline reports that the series has always been kept under wraps, and that the original deal with Disney was for 26 episodes and to have a spinoff.
