Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has been revealed as the number one most powerful person on British television by RadioTimes.com.
The incoming 15th Doctor was previously best known for playing Eric Effiong in the Netflix drama, Sex Education but was subsequently revealed as the next Doctor last year after months and months of speculation over who would replace Jodie Whittaker as the 14th Doctor. (Well, we thought he'd be the 14th Doctor, before that regeneration twist saw David Tennant cropped up at the end of The Power of the Doctor, that is!).
The rest of the top five spots were Heartstopper writer Alice Oseman in second place, Welsh broadcaster Huw Edwards in third, The Watcher and The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge in fourth, and House of the Dragon's Emma D'Arcy in fifth place.
Reacting to the news, Ncuti Gatwa said: "Being recognized for anything is just lovely, innit? Let alone being on the RadioTimes.com TV 100 list. TV is on fire at the moment, and so to top the list as well feels extra cool.
“The titans that have topped the list before me, people such as Russell T Davies, Michaela Coel, Jodie Whittaker, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman, are all inspirations to me, and their work is something I aspire to. They’re just really great storytellers above all else, and that’s all I could want to do", Gatwa added.
Returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies—who topped last year's list—was full of praise for Gatwa. He said: "Sometimes you know you've got a secret. And you hold it close to your chest and let it burn, because secrets are so delicious. I've got that right now, because my secret is seeing Ncuti with [new companion] Millie Gibson on the rushes of Doctor Who, every single day, and oh my God, this is so good.
"I can promise you a completely new Doctor, and yet a Doctor utterly faithful to the 60 years that came before. Soon, the secret will be out, and we'll all be dancing", he added.
Ncuti's victory also saw him beating out The Traitors host, Claudia Winkleman (sixth), writer Adam Kay (seventh), the Lionesses (eighth), Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney in ninth, and Strictly Come Dancing 2022 winner Hamza Yassin in tenth. (The full list can be found on RadioTimes.com)
The Doctor Who 60th anniversary special will see the show returning for a three-part special this November to BBC One and its new US home, Disney Plus. Past seasons can be streamed on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
