Hugh Grant has spoken out following the rumours that he's set to replace Jodie Whittaker as the next Time Lord in Doctor Who.
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It comes after The Mirror reported that the Hollywood actor, who last appeared on TV screens in the 2020 drama The Undoing was in discussion to take on the role of the Time Lord. However, taking to Twitter Hugh firmly put the rumours to bed, writing: "Nothing against Dr W but I'm not. No idea where the story came from."
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Fans were naturally disappointed and took to the replies to react to Hugh's tweet. "That's a terrible shame. Would have loved you in the part," one wrote while another said: "It was probably someone's wishful thinking. I am disappointed, you'd have been perfect, but thanks for letting us know." A third added: "It was a fun thought for a moment. Oh well."
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Although the rumours of Hugh joining the show are unfounded, it's not hard to see why many think he would be a good fit. Hugh previously worked with Doctor Who's returning showrunner Russell T Davies back in 2018 when he starred in the three-part BBC series A Very English Scandal, which the writer adapted from John Preston's book of the same name.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHugh has shut down rumours that he will be taking over as the Doctor
And what's more, Russell actually offered the Time Lord role to the Notting Hill star back in 2004 when he first rebooted the long-running sci-fi series. The part eventually went to Christopher Eccleston as, according to Russell, the role offer "never got past [Hugh's] agent".
Reflecting on the rejection, Russell told Digital Spy back in 2018: "Literally, I've wanted to work with Hugh Grant for decades. We did ask him to be Doctor Who in 2004. I have to say, that never got past his agent. I told him this. He was completely oblivious."
© Photo: BBCJodie Whittaker is ending her run as the Time Lord later this year
He continued: "With that level of star, you approach the agent and they just kick it out the window. 'Would Hugh like to come to Cardiff for a year?' 'No!'"
Sadly it seems the closest fans will get to seeing Hugh in the role is in the Red Nose Day sketch Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death, which saw him parody the Doctor. The comedy special was penned by Steven Moffat and aired back in 1999, five years before the revival series landed on the BBC.
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Meanwhile, Jodie's final episode as the Doctor will air in Autumn 2022, and it's expected that viewers won't know for sure who is replacing her until they appear on screen. Many well-known faces have already been tipped to take on the role, including Death in Paradise's Ben Miller, It's a Sin star Olly Alexander and The IT Crowd actor and film director Richard Ayoade.
Fans won't have to say goodbye to the first female doctor just yet, however, as she'll return in the spring for a special titled Legend of the Sea Devils, which will see the Doctor and her companions battle iconic Who monsters after landing in 19th century China.
