Rumor Has It That Jodie Whittaker is Leaving 'Doctor Who' Soon

By Mae Abdulbaki | TV | January 4, 2021 |

By Mae Abdulbaki | TV | January 4, 2021 |

This is sad news. Jodie Whittaker, who made headlines as the first woman to play the leading role in BBC’s wildly popular Doctor Who, might be exiting stage left soon. Filming on Season 13 of the series is currently underway and I suppose it was assumed (by us, anyway) that Whittaker would stay on the show through Season 14. However, according to the Daily Mirror’s Nicola Methven, the good doctor is departing Doctor Who at the end of next season and will be replaced by another actor.

“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.”

On the show, that means Whittaker’s Doctor will be undergoing said regeneration, which has honestly been the most clever way to say goodbye to an actor in a role on any series ever. Methven also revealed that Whittaker’s co-stars Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole are also out after Season 13. Damn. Whittaker first joined Doctor Who in 2017 and what’s interesting here is that BBC reps won’t even deny the fact that she could be departing the show.

“We won’t be commenting on any speculation around Jodie’s future on the show,” said a nameless BBC spokesperson. That, more than anything, suggests that there might be some truth to the report, after all. It’s always sad to say goodbye to the Doctor (in any form) and it always seems to happen just as viewers have gotten used to the quirks of the new version of the character, too. That said, Whittaker’s potential exit isn’t all that surprising since Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Peter Capaldi have all left the series after playing the Doctor for three seasons.

Source: Daily Mirror/Variety