After weeks of speculation, the BBC has confirmed the fate of the Doctor Who Christmas special planned for this festive season - and it isn't good news for fans of the beloved sci-fi series.
The broadcaster has released a statement, announcing that the festive episode won't go ahead.
"After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and [production company] Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode," the statement reads.
"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one-off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory."
The decision marks the end of Russell T Davies' tenure as showrunner as he and Bad Wolf are exiting Doctor Who, which will be now put out to competitive tender, with more details to be announced in due course.
Davies took to Instagram to comment on the cancellation, writing that the longer wait will be "worth it" and there is now "no need" for the annual special.
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"And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it's putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won't be a Christmas Special - we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there's no need for it," he wrote.
"You'll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you'll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it's worth it!"
Davies also clarified that he "never wrote" the script for the special and "no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor".
"You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You'll wait a lonnng time," he continued.
"Now I'm as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It's all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp."
The last fans got to see of Doctor Who dates back to May 2025, when season finale 'The Reality War' saw the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) regenerate into an unnamed character played by Billie Piper, who previously portrayed Rose Tyler on the show.
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK, with classic episodes available via BBC iPlayer.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
