Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Time Lord of Doctor Who, will be leaving the show after her third series in the franchise. The announcement has yet to officially be declared by Jodie herself, however the actress has apparently told bosses she intends to follow the traditional rule of leaving after three runs in the Tardis.
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The leaving after three seasons has become a tradition, as many Doctor predecessors have done the same in the past. These predecessors include Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, William Hartnell, and Patrick Troughton. Although the gears are in motion, the events involving her departure are still being kept as a close guarded secret.
Whispers Surrounding Jodie Whittaker’s Exit
One insider declared:
“It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving, and they are gearing up for a regeneration.”
“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.”
Jodie Whittaker is the first female doctor since Peter Capaldi passed the torch to her during the special Christmas episode, “Twice Upon a Time.” The 13th Doctor was a refreshing change from the character’s past incarnations and has had various fantastic episodes. Many of her episodes left a lasting impact on fans and it seems too soon for her to be ending her adventures now.
Since her co-stars Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole have already left the show, it makes sense that Whittaker would soon follow. When core companions of a specific Doctor leave, it’s often not surprising that a new generation of Doctor is not far behind.
The last season of the 13th Doctor will feature comedian John Bishop as a new companion, alongside Mandip Gill, who plays current companion Yaz. Since comedians have previously been on the show as companions, we may yet see a last great season from Jodie Whittaker and her new additional companion, like David Tenant’s 11th Doctor having Catherine Tate as a co-star.
Even though Whittaker doing one last season, it has already been announced that the new series has been cut to eight episodes due to COVID restrictions slowing down the production. This means fans may not get much more of the 13th Doctor before her time ends on the show, which is a shame since there is so much potential content fans will miss out on because of the limitations.
Already there is speculation on who will be the 14th Doctor and includes various frontrunners. It is still uncertain whether the new Doctor will remain female but those that may be selected include Death in Paradise star Kris Marshall, Fleabag’s Pheobe Waller-Bridge, Friday Night Dinners’ Tom Rosenthal and hunky Happy Valley star James Norton – most of whom were in the running last time around. It is also rumored that due to the show is produced out of BBC Wales, actor Michael Sheen could be a frontrunner, along with Gavin & Stacey favorite Joanna Page.
Hopefully, we may find out more about Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor regeneration as we get closer to her departure but its likely we won’t find out the identity of the 14th Doctor until it becomes a fixed point in time.
Are you sad to see Jodie Whittaker leave as the 13th Doctor? Are you excited for the next season? And Which individual are you hoping to see become the 14th Doctor? Let us know in the comments or social media and stay tuned to The Illuminerdi for more about Doctor Who.
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Source: Deadline
