7 Doctor Who questions that need answering after the Christmas special’s cancellation – including that Billie Piper twist

A version of this feature was first published in 2025.

With the cancellation of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special and the announcement that the show’s production is now open to bids from different companies, fans are naturally curious about the fate of the unfinished plotlines.

Ncuti Gatwa’s final season as the Doctor wrapped up several ongoing storylines, finally revealing who the enigmatic Mrs. Flood really was.

Wow, that season 15 finale left me with so many questions! It wasn’t just about Billie Piper’s character and what happened with her – there are a ton of other storylines still up in the air, and I’m really eager to see where they go next.

With Russell T Davies leaving as showrunner and the future of Doctor Who still uncertain, here’s a look at the questions that remain unanswered.

7 Doctor Who questions that need answering following The Reality War

1. What the Billie Piper?

After watching ‘The Reality War,’ the main thing fans are likely wondering is what’s happening with the Doctor’s newest transformation.

Honestly, the ending of the episode completely blew me away. Seeing Ncuti Gatwa regenerate inside the TARDIS, standing in the doorway and gazing out at the universe… it was just breathtaking. And then to see Nicola Coughlan’s character, Joy, still shining as a star in the sky? Such a beautiful, emotional moment. It really stuck with me.

As the Doctor finished regenerating, everyone was shocked to see Billie Piper as the new face!

Billie Piper is best known for her role as Rose Tyler on Doctor Who, which she played from 2005 to 2008. She later reappeared in 2013 as ‘The Moment,’ a powerful Gallifreyan weapon and AI that disguised itself as Rose to interact with the War Doctor.

When she returned, it appeared she may have been cast as the next Doctor.

There was a notable difference in how the show was credited. Traditionally, the Doctor’s first episode would begin with a credit like “Introducing X as the Doctor.” But for The Reality War, the opening credits simply stated “Introducing Billie Piper.”

Is it possible Rose has taken over the Doctor’s body? Perhaps she’s using the Doctor from the alternate universe where she’s living with her family – it’s a complicated story with a lot of background details.

Will we ever find out?

2. What happened with Susan?

Carole Ann Ford made a significant return in The Interstellar Song Contest, but unfortunately, her time on the show was brief.

In that episode, the Doctor had a vision of his granddaughter Susan, who appeared to be on board the TARDIS and urged him to return to the space station. He didn’t seem concerned by this vision and never shared what he experienced with Belinda or anyone else.

Susan made a quick appearance on television in Wish World. However, during the events of The Reality War, she was notably missing, even though almost everyone else participated.

So why was Susan calling out to the Doctor? Where is she? And will we see her again?

Carole Ann Ford recently told TopMob that the show’s finale was different from what they originally filmed. They had shot most of it a year earlier, and she had to return for additional scenes. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to film with the whole cast because she was in America at the time, which she regretted.

She believes many fans are aware that additional footage was shot but ultimately left out of the final cut.

Naturally, a few extra scenes were filmed, but after some necessary changes were made to the overall story, those scenes no longer fit. So, they had to shoot new footage to match the revised plot.

It’s disappointing that I couldn’t do more, but I really enjoyed the part I did and love watching it. It felt like I was floating in space! And to my grandfather, I’m still waiting for you to find me!

3. Who is The Boss?

From the very beginning of Russell T Davies’ return to the show, there’s been a subtle mystery unfolding. In the episode ‘The Star Beast,’ a character named the Meep mentioned how unusual it is for someone to have two hearts, and that it would report this to a superior. The Doctor found this comment puzzling and disliked the implication.

We haven’t heard much about the mysterious figure referred to as “the boss” since they were first mentioned. The character from the episode “Rogue” briefly alluded to them, complaining about increased paperwork after a change in leadership.

The phrase surfaced again in the story “The Reality War.” As Time Hotel manager Anita left the 21st century, she told the Doctor, “They say hello, by the way.” When the Doctor asked who ‘they’ were, she only said, “The Boss,” which left him puzzled and worried.

Considering the show has recently brought back classic villains like Sutekh, the Rani, and Omega, it wouldn’t be shocking if this new threat turned out to be another familiar face. It could even be the Master, secretly manipulating events throughout time and space – we’ll explore that possibility further soon.

The show’s 2023 specials hinted at several future villains, including the Toymaker’s army and Mrs. Flood. Now, only one major antagonist remains a threat.

4. What now for Mrs Flood?

During the events of ‘The Reality War,’ Archie Panjabi’s updated version of the Rani unexpectedly released Omega, and was instantly consumed by him.

Okay, so here’s a twist! They didn’t kill off Mrs. Flood – Anita Dobson’s character – after all. When the Doctor revealed her to Omega, she had this brilliantly cheeky line – “So much for the two Ranis. It’s a goodnight from me!” – and then just activated her time travel gadget and vanished. It was a fun, unexpected exit, and honestly, a perfect send-off for that character.

Will we see her again?

5. Is Rogue dead and will we ever see him again?

The charming bounty hunter and the Doctor’s romantic partner were in a difficult situation at the end of the last episode.

Rogue, the character who seemingly died at the end of the episode of the same name, reappeared in “Wish World.” He explained he’d been trapped in a terrible dimension and was worried it was collapsing, leaving his survival uncertain.

I’m really hoping we get to see what becomes of him, honestly. But the way things are shaping up, this feels like a romance that’s destined for a bit of heartache, you know?

Rogue’s story felt so closely tied to the Fifteenth Doctor that a future meeting with any Doctor – even Billie Piper’s return – probably wouldn’t have the same impact. It’s unlikely to recapture the special connection Jonathan Groff and Ncuti Gatwa created together.

Landing Jonathan Groff for Doctor Who would be a major coup, as he’s a very popular and busy actor. While it’s not out of the question that he might return, it doesn’t seem probable at the moment given his current commitments.

6. What happened to the tooth containing The Master?

Although it appeared the Master died in the 2022 special, ‘The Power of the Doctor,’ ‘The Giggle’ revealed he was actually pulled from time by the Toymaker. The Toymaker forced him to play a life-or-death game, which the Master lost. As a result, the Master was imprisoned inside the Toymaker’s gold tooth.

After the 14th and 15th Doctors defeated the Toymaker, he was removed from existence, but one of his teeth fell to earth, landing on the UNIT tower. A shadowy figure with red fingernails then picked it up.

We haven’t heard anything about the Master since then, which isn’t unexpected. Russell T Davies hasn’t featured many of the show’s classic villains, like the Daleks and Cybermen, during his current run.

Currently, his situation is similar to the Rani’s – he’s prepared and able to return, and there’s a straightforward reason why he could, though a return isn’t necessarily happening right away.

7. Will we ever see Ruby and Belinda again?

For now, it seems Ruby and Belinda’s stories have come to a close.

Belinda has finally returned home with her daughter, Poppy, bringing her long journey to an end. Throughout the season, she longed to be back where she belonged, and now she is. At the conclusion of their adventure, she questioned the Doctor about the possibility of seeing him again, and while he expressed hope, he couldn’t promise it would happen.

In a recent behind-the-scenes look, Davies explained that Ruby’s story arc completed a satisfying loop by the end of the episode. Her family grew with the arrival of baby Joseph, who went from being a powerful wish-granting being to a completely human child.

In the same video, Gibson mentioned Ruby was spending time with her band, but also hinted she might work with UNIT in the future. Davies added that Ruby now has the potential to star in her own adventures.

This suggests Ruby is more likely to come back than Belinda. Ruby has stronger connections to UNIT and the Doctor’s universe, and she appears to enjoy adventure more.

As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I’m really hoping we see those two characters reappear! They seem to be on hold for now, but honestly, after seeing Susan back on screen after 62 years, anything feels possible in this show. You just never know who might pop up next!

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ outside of the UK.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about television dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations – first at a business-to-business agency, then at Fremantle, an international TV production company. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-06-12 16:41