Ncuti Gatwa films Doctor Who wearing tartan kilt in possible nod to his childhood in Edinburgh

New Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa seen wearing black leather jacket, yellow top and tartan kilt
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Edinburgh-raised Ncuti Gatwa has been seen on the set of Doctor Who wearing a kilt – and it has left fans speculating if this will be his costume.

The former Boroughmuir High School pupil is currently filming the BBC sci-fi series in Cardiff. In new pictures and videos taken on the set, the 30-year-old can be seen sporting a black leather jacket, yellow top and tartan kilt.

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Every iteration of the famous Time Lord has always had an iconic look, and the kilt could be a nod to Gatwa's childhood, growing up in the Scottish capital.

Edinburgh-raised Ncuti Gatwa has been seen on the set of Doctor Who wearing a kilt.Edinburgh-raised Ncuti Gatwa has been seen on the set of Doctor Who wearing a kilt.
Edinburgh-raised Ncuti Gatwa has been seen on the set of Doctor Who wearing a kilt.

In other photos, Gatwa can be seen punching his way out of a giant snowman that landed on him.

Doctor Who returns in November 2023 with three special episodes with Bathgate actor David Tennant as the 14 Doctor to coincide with the 60th anniversary. Gatwa will be the 15th Doctor, and his first episode as lead actor is set to air in the "festive period" of 2023.

A few months back, it was announced that he will feature alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Theo James and Jessie Buckley in Oscar-winner Sir Sam Mendes’s audio adaptation of David Copperfield.

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Gatwa, who found fame as Eric Effiong in acclaimed teenage drama Sex Education, will play the title role in the Charles Dickens classic for online audio book platform Audible, which will see the character find his way “in a challenging world”.

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Born in Rwanda in 1992, he was one of three children brought up by his mother in Scotland after the family fled the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Recalling his upbringing, he has said: “Resilience has always been something I’ve seen and admired. I grew up with a single mum, an immigrant mum who couldn’t speak the language, no money, three kids on her back, coming from Rwanda, and she’s done a sterling job with all three of us.

“I saw her struggle, I saw her fight all the time. Every day was another fight, and she always fought tooth and nail for all three of us. She just seemed to get through whatever hardship came her way. I think that’s made me quite a resilient person.”

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He attended Boroughmuir High School in the Capital and Dunfermline High School in Fife, where he faced racist abuse. The actor has recalled feeling like “the only black person in the world” going to school in Edinburgh and then Fife, revealing that racist pupils at Dunfermline High had created a social media page targeting him.

He said: “I was quite an easy target in a state Scottish high school. I grew up in a working-class area, and I stood out – for my voice, my appearance, I did dance and things like that. But I always had faith in my charm. I was like, ‘If I can go around each group and befriend them all, then I’m all powerful. Divide and conquer.

“It was really a good lesson to me about the difference between hate and ignorance.Obviously their behaviour was inexcusable. But at the same time, I was the first black person that they probably saw in real life.”

Gatwa’s passion for acting won him a place at the country's most prestigious music and drama school, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, which he describes as “a safe space.”

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