DOCTOR Who star Ncuti Gatwa will no longer be the UK's spokesperson for Eurovision due to "unforeseen circumstances", the BBC has said.
The 32-year-old actor, who grew up in Scotland and rose to fame in Netflix's Sex Education, had been due to reveal the points given by the UK national jury to other contestants during the competition’s grand finale in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday.
However, on Thursday it was announced that Gatwa would be replaced by singer and BBC Radio 2 DJ Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The broadcaster did not explain why Ncuti was replaced, simply saying that he was "no longer able" to participate "due to unforeseen circumstances".
Due to unforeseen circumstances, unfortunately Ncuti Gatwa is no longer able to participate as Spokesperson during the Grand Final this weekend. However, we are delighted to confirm that BBC Radio 2’s very own Friday night Kitchen Disco Diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be presenting… pic.twitter.com/ti8SJgFKDY
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) May 15, 2025
The BBC's announcement came during the second semi-final, reportedly just minutes after Israel's entrant Yuval Raphael qualified for the final.
During the dress rehearsal earlier in the day, Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said six pro-Palestine protesters, including a family, obstructed the Israeli performance with “oversized flags and whistles” and were subsequently escorted out of the venue.
Commenting, Ellis-Bextor said: “I love Eurovision and it’s a privilege to be part of 2025’s Grand Final.
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“What an honour it is to announce the UK’s jury score on such a special show which always puts music front and centre. I am very much looking forward to delivering the iconic douze points from the United Kingdom.”
A BBC post on Twitter/X said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, unfortunately Ncuti Gatwa is no longer able to participate as spokesperson during the Grand Final this weekend.”
Before the final on Saturday, a Eurovision themed episode of Doctor Who – The Interstellar Song Contest – will air. The sixth episode in the current season of sci-fi hit Doctor Who will see The Doctor (played by Gatwa) and companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) travelling to the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest.
In the episode, the Interstellar Song Contest features planets from across the universe competing for the top prize and is co-hosted by TV and radio presenter Rylan Clark, while Irish TV host and the “King of Eurovision” Graham Norton also appears.
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