Jodie Whittaker Opens Up About Impending Doctor Who Exit

Jodie Whittaker’s tenure in the TARDIS is coming to a close as, earlier this year, it was confirmed that the actress was leaving Doctor Who in 2022. Whittaker boarded the sci-fi series as the first female Doctor back in 2017 and has so far starred in two seasons, with her third and final run on its way. But while work is already beginning on the next era of the show, the star has revealed that she’s not yet ready to let go of the Doctor.

During a conversation with The Line-Up Podcast, Whittaker explained that she hasn’t started adjusting to putting Who behind her, as she’s still shooting her final episodes.

“So I am still knee deep in shooting. So to me this hasn’t finished,” Whittaker said. “You’re just in it, but I can be in it. So the good thing now is being announced that these are my last episodes that I’m shooting doesn’t mean I have to let go yet.”

Whittaker went on to compare the “very strange” experience of having her exit announced to when she was first revealed to be playing the Doctor four years ago.

“Well, it’s strange because, like, announcing you’re the Doctor, it always happens at a very strange time,” Whittaker said. “So you announce that you’re going to play the Doctor and it happens before, essentially, you’ve stepped foot on set. So that’s one big announcement and the very emotionally, kind of contradicting thing is you announce you’re leaving, but you haven’t left.”

Whittaker was hired by showrunner Chris Chibnall who took over as EP from Steven Moffat. Along with Whittaker’s exit, it was confirmed that Chibnall would be leaving the series with her. Just last week, the BBC announced that Russell T. Davies, who relaunched the show in 2005, would be taking back the reins from Chibnall and would resume as Doctor Who showrunner for the 60th anniversary in 2023. For now, though, the Fourteenth Doctor remains uncast.

Season 13 will consist of a truncated run of six episodes, which comprises a single serialized storyline. Three additional specials are then set to unfold across 2022, with Whittaker’s regeneration coming in the final one, which is believed to be part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations next year. The actress is currently filming her final episode, so she’ll have to let go of the role pretty soon.

Doctor Who is due to return sometime later this year.