Olly Alexander insists he isn’t playing the next Doctor on Doctor Who

Doctor Who is on the cusp of transformation with the arrival of a new Doctor next year, along with the return of former showrunner Russell T. Davies. Fans have been anxiously awaiting news regarding who will take over the mantle for Jodie Whittaker, but so far, we’ve heard nothing.

There have been plenty of rumors, of course. Among the celebrities fans think could be taking over is British actor and musician Olly Alexander. He’s been stuck on the Doctor Who rumor mill for quite some time now, but time and time again, he’s denied it.

While speaking with The Guardian recently, he finally attempted to put these rumors to rest once and for all. Of course, it doesn’t mean that he’s telling the truth; just look at how voraciously Andrew Garfield denied he was in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Last summer, the rumors of Olly Alexander taking over next were running rampant. They got underway because Alexander worked with Davies on the Channel 4 drama miniseries It’s A Sin, and Davies offhandedly said that Alexander would make a good Doctor. Many assumed this meant that Alexander was a shoo-in for the role, but according to Alexander himself, this is simply not the case.

Olly Alexander is not the next Doctor on Doctor Who

Alexander said the rumors of him being the next Doctor were “genuinely news to him.” He put it as plainly as he could: “I definitely am not Doctor Who, and I’m not going to be Doctor Who. Promise! It’s not happening! I can tell you I’m definitely not doing it.”

Isn’t that what Andrew Garfield said over and over again? Just saying.

Even though Alexander denies he’s on the show himself, he did throw his It’s A Sin costar Omari Douglas into the ring. Basically, anyone who was in this miniseries is a possibility. In particular, the name Lydia West keeps popping up. That rumor got supercharged when industry publication Production Weekly posted this allegedly leaked BBC production note about season 14. Notice that they’re still calling the Doctor a “her”:

"A fantasy action saga of a mysterious alien time traveler, Doctor Who, who picks up human companions, faces evil foes with little more than her wits and a sonic screwdriver and journeys throughout time and space in a police phone booth called the TARDIS."

Even Whittaker has given her stamp of approval to West: “If we had the power to choose…I’m going to pick an actress who is really exciting and would be phenomenal, an actress called Lydia West,” she said. West herself has said that it would be “an honor” to play the Doctor. And what did Davies have to say about it? “Noted.”

There you have it, folks. Just about anyone that was on It’s A Sin could be a contender, so we’ll have to wait and see who ultimately gets the honor. But you can bet we’ll have the updates for you as soon as anything is announced!

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h/t Independent