The 13th Doctor Who has been revealed and it’s a woman
Jodie Whittaker (Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
The 13th Time Lord in the popular BBC series Doctor Who has been revealed as Jodie Whittaker.
The Broadchurch star is the first woman to take up the iconic role which has been passed on by the 12th doctor, Peter Capaldi.
Whittaker said: “It’s more than an honour to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope.
“It feels completely overwhelming; as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible.
“I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one,” she added.
Whittaker was a favourite for the role, with her Broadchurch co-star and former Doctor David Tennant saying that she would be a “great” choice.
She had previously denied rumours that she was a potential for the role.
Capaldi announced he was leaving during an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley in January.
The Glasgow-born star said: “I feel it’s time to move on. I feel sad, I love Doctor Who, it is a fantastic programme to work on.”
The Doctor recently got a lesbian sidekick, Bill Potts.
“It shouldn’t be a big deal in the 21st Century. It’s about time isn’t it?” Pearl Mackie, who plays Bill, told the BBC.
“That representation is important, especially on a mainstream show.”
She continues: “It’s important to say people are gay, people are black – there are also aliens in the world as well so watch out for them.
“I remember watching TV as a young mixed race girl not seeing many people who looked like me, so I think being able to visually recognise yourself on screen is important.”
“[Being gay] is not the main thing that defines her character – it’s something that’s part of her and something that she’s very happy and very comfortable with.”
The show recently had an incredible LGBT moment in which Bill is talking to two Centurion guards, one of which is gay and the other is bisexual.
“Class”, a spin off of the show, also features a gay relationship.
The show, which is set in London, is lead by a gay character Charlie and his boyfriend Matteusz as well as an array of other diverse characters.
The actors who play the couple both identify as straight when away from their acting careers.
