Doctor Who's previously announced Christmas special has been axed, the BBC have announced, amid worries for the future of the hit show11:16, 10 Jun 2026Updated 13:02, 10 Jun 2026Doctor Who's previously announced Christmas special has been axed. Today, the BBC announced that they have decided not to go ahead with the festive special of the show. Instead, they have announced that they will be putting the popular show out to competitive tender this year in the hopes of securing it's future.‌In a statement, the BBC said that the decision was not taken lightly and that it will be disappointing for fans that the programme will not be back this Christmas.‌“After careful consideration the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode," the statement began. “This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series.‌“It was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one-off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the Tardis lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”In addition to this, Russell T Davies has now announced that he won't be returning to the show. In a lengthy post on social media, he shared: "And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender.‌"As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special - we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worth it!He then clarified: "For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor. You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time."Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp.".‌It had been reported that the BBC were struggling to find a person to play the lead role. The last series of Doctor Who ended when Ncuti Gatwa left the programme and his character regenerated into Rose Tyler, prompting speculation that Billie Piper - who played companion Rose - may make her return.However, it was later claimed that Billie wasn't planning on taking over as the next Doctor. Since Ncuti's exit, there has been much speculation about what will happen next - and when we might get a new Doctor Who installment.‌A source claimed that although there had been "reassurances" that Doctor Who would be back on screens, there has since been "no confirmation" from bosses that this is the case."Now, with less than seven months to go, that looks like it's hanging in the balance too. The problem is that they have found it difficult to find anyone who'll take on the part of the 16th Time Lord, partly because it now feels like a role that comes with all the baggage of the most recent series," an insider said."There are fears that even if they do manage to pull something together, it is going to be a poor cousin to previous Christmas specials which have always been adored by fans."Article continues belowDespite their reported struggles, the BBC said they have remained committed to the show. Announcing the news of the now-axed Christmas special, BBC Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt, had said at the time: "The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026."Earlier this year, Doctor Who's partnership with Disney came to an end after the US streaming service pulled out of its arrangement with the show last year, choosing not to broadcast the series any longer. The previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in productionLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.