"I'm glad that the secret is finally out and I don't have to keep it a secret anymore because I'm terrible."
It turns out Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the next Doctor Who at the beginning of the year, with the 29-year-old patiently sitting on the news for the past three months.
Yesterday evening, ahead of his BAFTA-nominated appearance at the Royal Festival Hall in London for his role in Netflix's 'Sex Education', the next Doctor chatted briefly on the red carpet of the event alongside returning 'Doctor Who' screenwriter Russell T. Davies.
Giving his reaction to the news for the first time, Ncuti Gatwa said of being the next Doctor Who: "It's been emotional.
"I was just saying I woke up crying and then I started dancing and... I'm glad it's finally out and I don't have to keep it a secret anymore because I'm terrible."
When quizzed on how long it's been since knowing he'd had the part, Davies stepped in to say "February," with Gatwa concluding, "It's been a long time".
The 'Sex Education' star will now take over the mantle from Jodie Whittaker for the BBC sci-fi's next iteration of the Time Lord. Whittaker was the first female version of the famed character, and now Gatwa, who is of Rwandan-Scottish descent, will not only be the first person of colour in the leading role, but also the first openly-gay star too.
Gatwa missed out on his BAFTA nomination last night for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Series to Jamie Demetriou for 'Stath Lets Flats'; the other 'Sex Education' nomination on the night went to Aimee Lou Wood (who plays Aimee in the series), but the award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy Series went to Sophie Willan for 'Alma's Not Normal'.
'Sex Education' will be back for a fourth and final series on Netflix in the near future. Ncuti Gatwa's time as the 14th Doctor will begin once Whittaker's iteration bows out during the usual Christmas/New Years' special later this year.
