Doctor Who's David Tennant says it's "hard" to pick next Doctor

David Tennant has offered his thoughts on why it will be "very hard" to pick the next Doctor on Doctor Who.

The actor knows a little something about the pressure of such an important decision, having stepped in for Christopher Eccleston as the 10th Doctor for the 2005 Christmas special.

Now, 16 years later, Tennant's former boss Russell T Davies faces a tough choice to pick Jodie Whittaker's successor when he returns to Doctor Who in 2023.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Tennant was quizzed on who he'd pick to next take up residence in the TARDIS – and admitted it's not a decision he'd ever be keen to make.

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"Well it's a big decision to make, isn't it? I'm glad I'm not making the decision. It's a part that can sort of go anywhere, and yet you just know when that casting is right," he said.

"It's very hard to pluck someone out and drop them in it. So I'm glad I don't have to decide. Was that a good dodge to your question?"

What to Read Next

Tennant has been very vocal in praising the BBC's decision to bring Russell T Davies back to Doctor Who, telling Digital Spy there "isn't a Doctor Who brain like his in the country, on the planet, in the universe".

As for whether he'd return to the show for a 60th anniversary Davies will oversee in 2023, the actor teased that "you should never say never to anything".

BBC

The new Doctor will debut just in time for this milestone anniversary for Doctor Who — what better time for them to meet some of their predecessors?

Doctor Who: Flux (aka series 13) airs weekly every Sunday night on BBC One in the UK. In the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max.

For more information on Doctor Who: Time Fracture, head this way – tickets are also available via retailers including LOVEtheatre, London Theatre Direct, Fever and Ticketmaster.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.