DOCTOR WHO: BBC Refuses To Debunk Rumors That Jodie Whittaker Has Decided To Leave The Series

DOCTOR WHO: BBC Refuses To Debunk Rumors That Jodie Whittaker Has Decided To Leave The Series

Over the weekend, rumours started swirling that Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has decided to walk away from the BBC series after three seasons, and the BBC refuses to debunk those claims in a statement.

By JoshWilding - Jan 04, 2021 01:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Doctor Who

Over the weekend, Mirror Online reported that Jodie Whittaker has decided to walk away from Doctor Who after starring in three seasons of the hit BBC series. The site noted that "at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed," while it's said that the actress is understandably keen to now take on other roles. 

She wouldn't be the first Doctor to hang up their Sonic Screwdriver after three seasons, and this report adds that Whittaker's co-stars, Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole, are also leaving. 

Showrunner Chris Chibnall will continue working on the show, but the team in front of the camera will obviously be completely overhauled. It's always exciting when a new lead is found for Doctor Who, and Whittaker made history when she became the first woman to take on the role.

Deadline has reached out to the BBC for comment, and their response may tell us everything we need to know. "We won’t be commenting on any speculation around Jodie’s future on the show," a spokesperson said, neither debunking nor confirming plans for Whittaker's departure.

Whittaker first played the Doctor in 2017, following in the footsteps of Peter Capaldi, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Christopher Eccleston.

Who do you think should be the next Doctor? 

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dracula
dracula - 1/4/2021, 1:15 AM
So they are either renegotiating her contract or they are waiting until they find a new doctor actor.

Checked out her era, wow the writing has gone down hill. Really while there are people better suited for the part, id say the person that needs to go is Chris Chibnall, get someone like Mark Gatiss to take over (Gatiss was my pick when Moffat left).

Although really it might be time to put Doctor Who back on hiatus for a few years, like really even the writting for the Capaldi era was all over the place.

Whether the next doctor is a man or woman, i dont care just get someone good. Jodie isnt terrible but she lacks something
Mugens
Mugens - 1/4/2021, 3:35 AM
@dracula - Jodi lacks good scripts to work with...
dracula
dracula - 1/4/2021, 1:17 AM
For modern doctors id rank them
1.Smith
2.Tennant
3.Eccleston
4.Capaldi
5.Whitaker
dracula
dracula - 1/4/2021, 1:17 AM
Havent watched enough classic to rank them
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 1/4/2021, 1:51 AM
I feel sorry for her during her run. She was always on an uphill battle with sexist morons, then wasn’t helped by terrible writing and a showrunner who clearly isn’t the right fit for the job
Shroombeast
Shroombeast - 1/4/2021, 2:22 AM
The writing has gone to shit, the tone is off, and the stories and characters aren't fun anymore.
Jodie Whitaker isn't what's wrong with this show.
Blergh
Blergh - 1/4/2021, 2:57 AM
Haven't seen much of her era, generally I zoned out during Capaldis run. Only watched the recent special because they finally brought back Captain Jack.
Whitaker is fine IMO, it's the writing around her that sucks. However I can't say she's more than that, in the few episodes I caught she was good but never breathtaking like the ones that came before

But every doctor in uniquely tied to the showrunner that carries them. For 9/10 it's Davies, for 11/12 it's Stephen "Look at how smart I am" Moffat and now it's Chibnall for Whitaker.
So maybe it's for the best they move into a new era of Who with a new Doctor and writer.
AC1
AC1 - 1/4/2021, 3:47 AM
Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole's departures were announced months ago and their final appearances aired on New Year's Day... That part of the article isn't news.

If this is true then I get it, and I look forward to see what comes next for the character, but I can't help feeling bad for Jodie Whittaker. The writing has been at pretty much an all time low since she took over the role and she's done the best she could with it but she's never really had a chance to truly break out and do anything amazing with it. She's really been let down in my opinion.
Odin
Odin - 1/4/2021, 3:53 AM
Haven't watched Whittaker episodes yet, mostly because Capaldi's disappointing run made me kind of lose interest. Not that it was Capaldi's fault, he was a great throw back to the classic Who -era as an actor, the stories just weren't that good in his tenure.
But how long has Whittaker been the Doctor now? Isn't her three seasons up soon. Tennant, Smith and Capaldi all got only three seasons, I thought it was unofficially established time the actors get to keep the role.
Anyway, if they want to go back to young Doctor like Tennant and Smith, Rupert Grint might be an options as a future regeneration.
gordonh7
gordonh7 - 1/4/2021, 4:58 AM
I read on the Daily mail website in the UK it was confirmed she was leaving the show.
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