According to The Sun tabloid, the "Doctor Who" Christmas special planned for the end of the year is on the verge of cancellation. The reason is that the creators have faced serious difficulties in finding a new lead actor.
It is reported that actors are reluctant to agree to auditions, as the role of the 16th Doctor is now perceived in the industry as "toxic" due to inflated expectations and criticism of recent seasons.
The situation is exacerbated by the loss of large-scale funding from Disney+: the streaming service officially announced the termination of its cooperation with the BBC in October 2025.
Recall that "Doctor Who" found itself in limbo after the finale of the second season of the revamped series, when Ncuti Gatwa suddenly left the show, and his 15th Doctor unexpectedly regenerated into Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). However, Piper was never announced as Gatwa's permanent successor in the credits, and since then, the main character's chair has officially been vacant.