Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston Says Jodie Whittaker Is The Best Doctor

Christopher Eccleston has revealed which of the many actors to have played The Doctor in Doctor Who over the years he thinks did it best.

The beloved sci-fi series has seen over a dozen talented stars take on the iconic role of the wandering Time Lord across nearly 60 years. William Hartnell was first to play the part way back in 1963, paving the way for fan-favourites like Patrick Troughton, Tom Baker, and David Tennant.

Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor for one series in 2005, helping to bring the revived show to modern audiences after the original run was cancelled in 1989. Despite having only 13 episodes under his belt, Eccleston remains a firm favourite among fans, with many clamouring for his return in a potential 60th anniversary multi-Doctor special.

While Eccleston seems fairly against coming back to star alongside other Doctors, he did share which of the show's leading actors he feels is a cut above the rest.

Speaking at the recent Supanova fan convention in Melbourne (via Twitter user @whittckers) Eccleston said that while Hartnell is the "father of us all", the "greatest" is the current Doctor Jodie Whittaker.

The 13th Doctor Jodie Whittaker was the first female actor to take on the role back in 2018. Her final appearance before handing over the TARDIS keys to a new actor will take place at the end of this year.

While the writing under current showrunner Chris Chibnall has been roundly criticised throughout Whittaker's tenure, the general consensus among fans is that she's proven time and again what an excellent Doctor she is in spite of the underwhelming stories.

It's unclear if Whittaker would return so soon after departing for the 60th anniversary special, but rumours suggest that a few past Doctors - including David Tennant - will return for the Birthday celebrations. Watch this space.

Topics: TV And Film