Rose Ayling-Ellis has denied that she’ll play the new Doctor Who companion opposite Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the titular Time Lord.

The actress was rumoured to be starring in the show after leaving EastEnders, but says there’s “no truth” to such speculation. She went on to say:

“I think it was a rumour which started on Twitter, and it just got bigger and bigger and now it’s everywhere… It sounds like a great job!”

Obviously, this doesn’t mean a great deal — no one has been announced to be stepping on board the TARDIS with Ncuti, so anyone rumoured will have to deny it. Nonetheless, it’s also been revealed that Ayling-Ellis is writing a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama about deaf women in the dating world, so maybe she’ll be too busy to feature in Doctor Who.

She’s also due to present Signs For Change, a documentary about the daily challenges faced by deaf people.

She also noted:

“My reality isn’t always nice. It is not nice when my access is compromised. It is not nice to realise my presence is a token. It is not nice when my favourite TV shows don’t have subtitles. It is not nice to feel frustrated and unheard… Whatever is next for me, I know one thing for sure – I am done with being the token deaf character. I believe that diverse, rich, and fascinating deaf stories are ready to go mainstream and that we can do this, together. I don’t know if anyone is going to listen to me, or if this will be lost to the hype. What I do know is that disabled people shouldn’t be responsible for curing non-disabled people of their ignorance.”

It is a shame if all this speculation turns into nothing, as she’s a great actress and it would nonetheless be wonderful to see a deaf person in such a high-profile role in our beloved show.

Either way, we’re sure she’s got a very bright future ahead of her. Doctor Who would sure look good on the ol’ CV though, eh…?