Olly Alexander is letting go and logging off when it comes to speculation that he’ll be Doctor Who’s next lead. Over the weekend, the U.K.’s The Sun on Sunday reported that the 30-year-old performer, who plays Ritchie on Channel 4/HBO Max’s It’s a Sin and fronts the band Years & Years, has been chosen as the first queer Time Lord. According to The Sun’s source, “Olly is on the verge of being announced as the new Doctor. Negotiations are at an advanced stage.” The insider also claimed that It’s a Sin creator Russell T. Davies, a former Doctor Who showrunner and writer, had “heavily promoted” Alexander for the role.
Just as the rumors began to ramp up, Alexander’s agent Martha Kinn offered a lighthearted denial. “Even though Olly is often contacted by Cybermen, I’m afraid I have to exterminate this speculation,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “As nice as it is to see interest in this story regenerate, it just isn’t true. As Ood as it might sound, Olly is focusing on his music, for the time being.” Alexander himself has not weighed in on the buzz. However, he did announce his break from social media for the “next couple of weeks” on Monday morning.
With Alexander allegedly out of the running, theories about who will be the 14th Doctor are sure to run wild. Jodie Whittaker, the first female Time Lord, is expected to depart the series in 2022, following her appearance in two specials. BBC hasn’t confirmed Whittaker’s exit, although it’s become common practice for Doctors to complete three-season stints. Whittaker joined Doctor Who in 2017, signaling a sea shift after 12 male Doctors, which included Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, and David Tennant in recent years.
“As ever bosses are staying tight-lipped about what they have planned,” a source told The Sun about the possible regeneration from Whittaker to Alexander (complete with an eerie illustration of what that may look like). “But with filming still going on for episodes in 2022, there’s lots more to come for Jodie’s doctor.”
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