Ever since Peter Capaldi announced that he was stepping down from the lead role in Doctor Who, speculation has been rife as to who could replace him at the TARDIS controls, with many suggesting that it could be time for the Doctor to regenerate into a woman.

However, new Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall seems to have stepped back from the idea, saying in an interview that he wants to avoid “gimmick” casting when he finally does take over the series from outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat.

“I can honestly say that nothing has yet been decided,” Chibnall told the East Anglian Daily Times when asked if the next Doctor could be played by a woman.

“I haven’t got my feet under the table yet. I have been working on the play (new comedy Worst Wedding Ever) and I am still finishing the latest series of Broadchurch.

“Nothing is ruled out but I don’t want the casting to be a gimmick and that’s all I can say.”

Whether this means the new Whopremo will be avoiding a gender-switch casting altogether or just looking for the right actor regardless of their sex is a little unclear – but as usual with Doctor Who, only time will reveal the answers.

As in, if we wait a few months we’ll actually find out…

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 on Saturday 15^th April