The actor set to take on the role of the next Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, has revealed he is "ready" but "nervous" for his new role. 

Gatwa, who rose to fame as Eric on the Netflix series Sex Education, auditioned for the part of the fifteenth Doctor in February 2022 and was unveiled to the world by showrunner Russell T Davies two months later.

The 31-year-old has been waiting two years to take on the role and is finally set to make his debut as the Doctor on the hit sci-fi series over the festive period. 

He will take over from David Tennant who is currently playing the fourteenth Doctor during the 60th anniversary specials.

Ncuti Gatwa says he's 'nervous' about his debut as the next Doctor Who

Gatwa, in an exclusive interview with the Big Issue magazine, revealed what the past two years have been like waiting to take on the role and now it was here how he was feeling. 

He said: “It’s felt like I’ve been the Doctor and also had to hold off from being the Doctor for most of the last two years.

“So how do I feel about people seeing it? I feel ready. But I’m sooooo nervous.”

The Sex Education star added it was exciting to have Tennant and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) back for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.

Gatwa said: “A nice little lead-in for me! It feels like it’s come full circle – because David was my Doctor and such a great inspiration to me as an actor.

“I would have been 13 – a pivotal time. And firstly, he’s Scottish. Plus he was so charismatic and fun – I mean all the Doctors have been fun, all the way back.

“Well, I don’t know if you can say that about William Hartnell. Maybe he wasn’t fun. But David had such a Scottish almost feral-ness to him, which is what I liked.

"I felt an affinity to that. So for him, of all people, to be handing the baton over – it just feels really surreal.”

The final Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special - The Giggle - airs on BBC One on Saturday (December 9) at 6.30pm.