Doctor Who lead Ncuti Gatwa has broken his silence on his co-star Millie Gibson’s reported exit from the show after the first season.

Gibson, 19, played the 15th Doctor’s companion Ruby Sunday in the Christmas special of the series. Her character has reportedly been written out of the show by showrunner Russell T Davies. The Coronation Street star’s role will reportedly be replaced by Varada Sethu for the next season.

Responding to the reports, Ncuti took to Instagram to share one of the first look photos of the show featuring him and Gibson. “My lil [heart emoji],” he wrote over it.

Gibson’s departure from the show comes after she was reportedly branded “Diva” by the crew for having issues with shooting at night.

“No one could question Millie’s commitment to Doctor Who, but there is a lot of pressure coming into a role like this,” noted an insider back in June 2023.

“She is determined to get it right. But the days are long and at times, when night filming has been suggested, she has made her feelings clear,” they added.

“Millie is a pro on set and although night shoots are part of the job, they can be tiring for even the most experienced actors.”

“She won’t be the first or last person to be a bit annoyed by a night shoot, but it has won her some snippy comments behind the scenes. The word ‘diva’ has been used once or twice when tempers are fraying,” they concluded.