We’ve received a shocking announcement on the Doctor Who front this Sunday. Just two days after her return in the show’s New Year’s special, news has arrived that says Jodie Whittaker may be saying goodbye to the TARDIS after the next run of the sci-fi institution. The actress, who was cast in the role back in 2017, is currently filming season 13, but a new report from The Mirror is claiming that it’ll be her last.
According to the outlet’s trusted source, “It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration.” The insider goes on to say that the BBC is on course to cast her replacement, explaining: “Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting.”
While this isn’t official just yet, The Mirror has a pretty spotless record when it comes to Who scoops in recent years. They previously told us that the Cybermen were returning in season 12 and that Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole were leaving in the recent special. Plus, as they point out, this next batch of episodes is Whittaker’s third run in the part and it’s traditional for Doctors to exit the gig after that number (David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi all bowed out three seasons in).
That being said, this announcement feels like it’s coming out of nowhere, as the actress has previously suggested that she wasn’t going anywhere. However, as The Mirror’s source says above, the producers were hoping to keep this under wraps and she could have been deliberately throwing folks off the scent with her comments. If this really is the case, then, get ready for months of speculation over who the Fourteenth Doctor will be.
Whatever happens, we’ve definitely got eight more episodes of Whittaker’s Time Lord still to go, as Doctor Who season 13 is expected to complete shooting in the summer ahead of its premiere in the fall. How do you feel about getting a new Doctor as soon as later this year, though? Sound off in the comments section down below.
