Jodie will become the 13th Doctor in the show’s history, taking over for current star Peter Capaldi at the end of this year. Peter has starred on the show since 2013, and was the 12th actor to fill the Doctor’s shows since the series made its debut on British television in 1963.
The exciting announcement was made in a short video in which Whittaker reveals herself stepping toward the Tardis (the Doctor’s teleportation device).
Audiences may recognise Whittaker from her work on Broadchurch, with the show’s 10th Doctor, David Tennant, and an episode of Black Mirror.
“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,” she says of her exciting new role. “It feels incredible.”
Whittaker told the Radio Times, she hopes the show’s fans “won’t be scared by her gender”.
“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.
