Ncuti Gatwa 'axed' from Doctor Who after pulling out of Eurovision hosting gig

leading man Ncuti Gatwa has reportedly been axed by the BBC after two series. According to reports, there is currently no replacement for the beloved Time Lord. The actor has reportedly been fired by the company after he backed out of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest last weekend.

The Barbie star, 32, was due to be the UK's spokesperson for the event, but was later replaced by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor instead. At the time, the BBC released a statement following his removal.

It read: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, unfortunately Ncuti Gatwa is no longer able to participate as Spokesperson during the Grand Final this weekend.

"However, we are delighted to confirm that BBC Radio 2's very own Friday night Kitchen Disco Diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be presenting the jruy result live from the UK."

The move left fans speculating that the TV star had withdrawn due to the controversial decision to allow Israel to take part in the music contest. Just two minutes after Israel qualified for the final, the BBC announced that he would no longer be involved in the contest.

Reports have since claimed the Eurovision decision "hammered" his Doctor Who axe. A source told : "If the final nail wasn't already in the coffin, it was well and truly hammered in after that. His withdrawal was incredibly embarrassing. It caps what has been a largely depressing tenure in the Tardis for Ncuti."

Ncuti has been vocal in his support for Palestine as he shared photos of Free Palestine graffiti in Italy on his account and posted links to fundraisers for Palestinian causes, He has remained silent on the reason behind his exit from the Eurovision gig.

This month, there have been plenty of rumours about the future of the sci-fi show following claims that Disney could pull their funding.

However, sources on the TV show, which generates around £100million for Studios through global licensing deals and merchandising, claimed that showrunner Russell T Davies has already planned out the next two seasons.

He is said to have almost completed scripts for series 16 and with stories for the 17th series worked out. Express.co.uk has contacted the and Ncuti's representatives for a comment.

It comes after David Tennant defended the current doctor after receiving harsh criticism from his time in the Tardis. The Scottish actor admitted he feels protective towards the actors who suceeded him, especially Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti.

He replied: "These debates - and it's not even a debate, it's a small clutch of people shouting very loudly, amplified by certain elements of the press - are not reflective of what most people feel. Things become ludicrously disproportionate, and end up being unnecessarily cruel."