Doctor Who star on the way to becoming multi-millionaire after show debut despite ratings drop
THE jury may be out on his performance on Doctor Who, but Ncuti Gatwa is still raking it in.
I can reveal the former Sex Education actor, who had his first series as the new Tardis-dweller earlier this year, has seen his money almost double to £1.9million.
Ncuti, 31, paid himself a nice little wage of nearly £700,000 from the cash he made through his company, Gemini Moon.
But the overnight ratings for his first stint as the Doctor are less impressive — particularly as they came from a peak slot on a Saturday night.
A TV insider said: “Landing one of the most sought-after roles on TV was always going to help Ncuti’s career and earning power.
“That much is clear from his latest accounts. But some might be wondering if his financial success has been matched by his success as the Time Lord.
“The number of people tuning in for a show that revelled in being a shared experience for all the family is somewhat underwhelming, to say the least.”
‘A bit underwhelming’
The first two episodes of the fourteenth series, which premiered on iPlayer hours before being broadcast on BBC One on Saturday May 11, were watched by just 2.7million and 3.2million.
The third episode’s viewing figures fell to 2.3million a week later.
Ratings for subsequent episodes rallied slightly to 3million before dipping to around 2.3million for the rest of the season.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “Overnight ratings no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch drama in an on demand world.
“This season of Doctor Who premiered on iPlayer nearly 24 hours before broadcast, and episode one has already been viewed by over 6million viewers and continues to grow.”
Ncuti is filming the second season, a co-production between the Beeb and Disney.
A third with him as the leading man is uncertain as Disney has yet to renew.
Maybe they’re trying to scrape together the cash to pay him.
