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Ncuti Gatwa has bid a "bittersweet" farewell to Doctor Who after being abruptly written out of the show.
The 32-year-old star was cast as the Fifteenth Doctor of the long-running BBC sci-fi children's drama in 2022 and made his debut on the series the following year.
Over the weekend, Doctor Who fans were shocked to see his character unexpectedly regenerate into a new version of the Doctor, with Billie Piper seemingly taking over the role.
Addressing his sudden exit from the show, Gatwa said in a behind-the-scenes featurette, "It was always the plan to do this amount of seasons, because it's a role that demands a lot of you, physically and emotionally and mentally."
He continued, "The actors playing the doctor are only actors playing the doctor; unfortunately, we are mere mortals."
He added, "I would love to have the energy and the youth to be able to do this full-time for the rest of my life, but my knees are telling me it's time."
Gatwa, who had his breakout in the Netflix series Sex Education where he played Eric Effiong, went on to signal he had mixed feelings about walking away from the TARDIS.
Explaining his departure, he said, "(It) felt like the right timing and the right energy, and it's felt melancholic and bittersweet."
Per Deadline, he added that the role was a "real pleasure and honour" to take on.
Fans had not been forewarned that Gatwa was leaving the series after just two seasons - and there has been confusion as to whether Piper is playing a new version of the Doctor, or a completely different character.
It is also unclear if the show will go on as ratings have nosedived and reviews of recent episodes have been far from kind.
The show had a two-season deal with Disney+ which injected new energy and money into the series, but it had not as yet been renewed beyond this agreement.
The 32-year-old star was cast as the Fifteenth Doctor of the long-running BBC sci-fi children's drama in 2022 and made his debut on the series the following year.
Over the weekend, Doctor Who fans were shocked to see his character unexpectedly regenerate into a new version of the Doctor, with Billie Piper seemingly taking over the role.
Addressing his sudden exit from the show, Gatwa said in a behind-the-scenes featurette, "It was always the plan to do this amount of seasons, because it's a role that demands a lot of you, physically and emotionally and mentally."
He continued, "The actors playing the doctor are only actors playing the doctor; unfortunately, we are mere mortals."
He added, "I would love to have the energy and the youth to be able to do this full-time for the rest of my life, but my knees are telling me it's time."
Gatwa, who had his breakout in the Netflix series Sex Education where he played Eric Effiong, went on to signal he had mixed feelings about walking away from the TARDIS.
Explaining his departure, he said, "(It) felt like the right timing and the right energy, and it's felt melancholic and bittersweet."
Per Deadline, he added that the role was a "real pleasure and honour" to take on.
Fans had not been forewarned that Gatwa was leaving the series after just two seasons - and there has been confusion as to whether Piper is playing a new version of the Doctor, or a completely different character.
It is also unclear if the show will go on as ratings have nosedived and reviews of recent episodes have been far from kind.
The show had a two-season deal with Disney+ which injected new energy and money into the series, but it had not as yet been renewed beyond this agreement.