When Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the new lead of Doctor Who earlier this month, that same day he was seen attending the BAFTA red carpet with the breakout star of another hit Netflix show — namely, Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan. This got Whovians wondering if Coughlan could be boarding the TARDIS, too, as the companion to Gatwa’s Doctor.
Coughlan has now shot down those rumors, however, but in doing so she’s instead confirmed that she and Gatwa are currently working on another project together. The Irish actress, also known for comedy series Derry Girls, was asked about those Doctor Who rumors by Variety. In response, she said, “I am not going to be on Doctor Who. We are doing something together, but it’s not Doctor Who.”
For a big clue on what Coughlan and Gatwa actually are co-starring in, the latter shared a photo of the pair on his Instagram Story, captioning the image, “A pair of dolls.” Given that Gatwa has been announced as part of the cast of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, it seems his comment may be a hint that Coughlan has secretly been added to the cast of the Margot Robbie vehicle, as well.
As for Doctor Who, we learned this Monday that the BBC has instead cast another Netflix veteran as Gatwa’s partner in traveling through time and space. Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney has joined the show in the role of Rose, a name which suggests her character will have some connection to Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. Gatwa and Finney are already hard at work on the sci-fi institution’s new era, with shooting underway on the 60th-anniversary special.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate are likewise on board the special episode, coming in 2023. This is not to be confused with Jodie Whittaker’s final Doctor Who appearance, set to air later this year. Nicola Coughlan, meanwhile, returns to Bridgerton for its third season, in which she’ll finally feature in the lead.