10 Biggest Doctor Who Leaks Ever

9. Peter Davison Accidentally Discovers His Replacement

Doctor Who The Name of the Doctor Clara Eleventh Doctor
BBC Studios

The casting of a new Doctor is something that's always shrouded in secrecy until the moment's right (or until the bookmakers mysteriously slash the odds on bets for Jodie Whittaker or Peter Capaldi). The departing Doctor is usually among the first people to find out, with Jodie Whittaker learning about Ncuti Gatwa just before his casting announcement was made public in May.

This is also true in the classic era, albeit by accident. Producer John Nathan-Turner was preparing for the departure of Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, and he was taken with Colin Baker following his previous appearance in Arc of Infinity, and had met the actor on several occasions since.

So, the two men had a series of meetings about the direction Colin Baker wanted to take the Doctor. After one such meeting, Baker and JNT stopped at the Bush Hotel for a drink, and it was here that they bumped into none other than Peter Davison. Naturally, this made the next day's filming on Warriors of the Deep pretty darn awkward.

Davison told JNT that he'd guessed Colin Baker would be replacing him, because Nathan-Turner hated the Bush Hotel, so why else would he be there? And also because of Colin's departing words when he left the set of Arc of Infinity: "Remember - the name's Baker!"

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