When Ncuti Gatwa recorded The Graham Norton Show last Thursday, he delivered what appeared to be good news for Doctor Who fans: his third season as the Time Lord would shoot next year.

Gatwa’s comments were briefed to the press by The Graham Norton Show‘s publicity team on Friday morning, but his quote mysteriously changed when the chat show broadcast on BBC1 later that evening.

Speaking to Norton on the famous red sofa, Gatwa originally revealed:

“We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year.”

But when the show aired, this was edited to:

“We finished the second season earlier this year, we’ve got the Christmas episode coming out … at Christmas … But it’s been amazing.”

The Graham Norton Show warns journalists that it is not unusual for certain quotes fail to make the final cut, but the switch led some Whovians to question whether Gatwa’s remarks had been censored by the BBC amid uncertainty over Doctor Who’s future.

The truth is rather more mundane. Speaking with Deadline it was stated that The Graham Norton Show made the edit to liven up Gatwa’s answer and was not obeying a “sinister” request from BBC bosses.

Indeed, the Doctor Who team was not involved in brokering the interview, given the Sex Education star was promoting his appearance in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre.

The BBC has, however, distanced itself from Gatwa’s remarks, restating that Doctor Who will not be renewed until the actor’s second season has premiered next year on BBC1 and Disney+.

“As we’ve said previously, the decision on season three will be made after season two transmits and as always we don’t comment on speculation,” a spokesperson said. Season 2 will likely launch next spring.

There is said to be some confusion about why Gatwa made the comment, particularly given showrunner Russell T Davies has echoed the BBC’s position about future seasons.

“The decision to commission Season 3 won’t be made until after Season 2 has transmitted. And that’s always been the deal since the start,”

Davies said in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. The writer has previously said he has started work on Season 3 scripts and that he is “very confident” about a renewal.

The Graham Norton Show incident has provoked another round of questions about Doctor Who’s future, not least a front-page story in The Daily Mirror from Nicola Methven, who is well-sourced on the Bad Wolf and BBC Studios-produced franchise.

Deadline reported in July that Disney is uncertain about whether it will continue to co-produce Doctor Who beyond 2025. The Mouse House’s commitment is critical to budgets, storylines, and casting, meaning its withdrawal could mean major changes to the show.

Liam Keelan, Disney’s SVP of original productions in EMEA, declined to comment on a future greenlight at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August. He did, however, hail Doctor Who as a “really good fit” for Disney+.

Gatwa’s own future on the series is also up in the air. A source told Deadline that “he might not be long for the job” as he explores other roles. His rep has been contacted for comment.

What seems certain is that Doctor Who fans will have to wait until 2027 before a follow-up to next year’s season. It remains to be seen in what form the sci-fi franchise will regenerate.