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Last year, the world got a bit of a shock when, for the second time in recent years, the Doctor regenerated into a familiar face. Rather than David Tennant returning as the Fourteenth Doctor, this time it was Billie Piper making her return to Doctor Who. Following Ncuti Gatwa’s departure from the show, it seemed that Billie Piper was playing the Doctor. However, the actress says that isn’t the case.

Speaking at For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi in London, Billie Piper explicitly denied that she would be playing the Sixteenth Doctor in future episodes of Doctor Who. “I am not the next Doctor,” she said during a panel. “I am Rose Tyler in hiatus.”

For the record, we don’t know what she could mean by that, and she seems to be aware of that. “Sorry, that’s a really cryptic answer,” Piper admitted. “But because I’m not currently filming Doctor Who as the Doctor, I can’t lie and say otherwise.” 

“I think you’ve all got to be very patient. It will be worth it when it comes,” Piper added. However, it is worth remembering that the future of Doctor Who seems very much in the air at the moment, as the BBC is seeking new production partners to help fund future episodes. That process isn’t expected to be a quick one, meaning it could be several years before we find out who Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated into. If Billie Piper isn’t playing the Doctor, who is she playing?

“I think everyone just needs to chill out and wait for what comes from the space… and time,” Piper told fans.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and AMC+ in the US, with the exception of the last two seasons which are on Disney+ in the US. 

If you want to start watching Doctor Who and don't know where to start, check out our handy Doctor Who watch guide. Or maybe you're already finished with the show - We've got the perfect Ten shows to watch when you're done watching Doctor Who guide for you too. If you're already heads over heels for the Fifteenth Doctor and want to learn more about the actor playing him, check out what he's been in before here. Or maybe you just need to figure out how the new series numbering is going to work (Are there really gonna be two series 1s? Yes.) - if so, this is the explainer you want.