Fans of Jodie Whittaker are in mourning as the actress is set to leave her role as a doctor. There has been speculation for months about Jodie’s future with the show and now it has finally been confirmed that Jodie will be leaving Doctor Who after Christmas this year.
Doctor Who fans all over the world has shared their sadness at Jodie Whittaker’s departure from Doctor Who, with many saying they feel like a part of them is also being taken away when Jodie leaves the show. One fan said “I’m not ready! I don’t want her to go!” while another commented, “I can’t believe she’s going.”
Is really Jodie Whittaker Leaving Doctor Who?
The Doctor will be on for three more seasons. That is how long she has left to say goodbye. Chris Chibnall is making sure that he won’t be alone either. He will also have two specials next year in January and Fall 2022.
“My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it, and for what it has brought to my life,” Whittaker said in a statement. “I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had.”
Added Chibnall: “Jodie and I made a ‘three series and out’ pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we’re handing back the Tardis keys. Jodie’s magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations.”
Whittaker’s run as the Time Lord will have lasted three seasons, the same duration as six of her seven most recent predecessors. To date, Doctor Who’s first female lead has appeared in 22 episodes, with another eight to come (in this fall’s Season 13).
Why Jodie Whittaker Leaving Doctor Who?
Jodie Whittaker will leave the Doctor Who show. She is the first woman to play the lead role. She will do a new show this year and three more next year. Jodie said that she will carry Doctor Who and what she has learned from him around with her forever.
Chibnall, who appointed the actress to replace Peter Capaldi in the role, has been in charge of the BBC One series since 2017. It has not yet been announced who will take over from Whittaker in the leading role.
“In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes,” Whittaker said in a statement. “I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds, and wonders I was to see in them.”
What is the reason behind leaving the show?
She continued: “My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it, and for what it has brought to my life.”
“And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learned forever.
“We should keep looking. We don’t know what else is out there. Things will surprise you, too.” Whittaker’s final series will have Mandip Gill as Yaz and John Bishop playing a new character named Dan.
The 13th Doctor’s first episode in October 2018 was watched by 11.5m viewers, in the sci-fi drama’s biggest audience for almost a decade. It was also the biggest show of that week, ahead of Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake Off.
But the show’s ratings have dropped in recent years. Whittaker’s last episode, broadcast in January, attracted a consolidated audience of 6.3 million.
What are fans and critics expecting?
While many have praised Whittaker’s casting, some fans and critics have criticized the show’s recent narrative direction. The Telegraph described recent episodes as “flat, worthy and woke” despite Whittaker’s talent as an actress, while The Sun reported viewers were left furious by the show’s “unbearable political correctness”.
One of the long-running drama’s unique features has been regeneration, where the Doctor completely changes their physical appearance, allowing the show to recast its lead role every few years.
Chibnall is currently writing and producing the next series of Doctor Who, which will air later this year. It will be followed by three specials, the first of which will be broadcast on New Year’s Day 2022, with another later in spring 2022.
Whittaker’s final feature-length special, where the 13th Doctor will regenerate, will transmit in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations.
Speculation will now turn to who Whittaker’s replacement might be, as Doctor Who approaches its 60th anniversary in 2023.
