The BBC have confirmed that Jodie Whittaker is stepping down as the 13th Doctor in 2022, and she'll be taking current showrunner Chris Chibnall with her.
According to a new report, Whittaker will hand over the keys to the TARDIS next year following a trio of special episodes that "culminate in an epic blockbuster Special to air in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC's Centenary celebrations."
Advert
Whittaker became the first female actor to take on the iconic sci-fi role in 2017, following the departure of Peter Capaldi. At the same time, Chibnall took over from previous showrunner Steven Moffat in an effort to regenerate the show for new audiences.
Chibnall has overseen two seasons with Whittaker at the helm so far, with a third - a six-part "Event Serial" due to arrive later this year. Following this, fans can expect three more specials in 2022, with the Whittaker's Doctor regenerating at the end of the third and final special. The 14th Doctor has yet to be announced.
"After taking the helm of the show, Chris Chibnall made the groundbreaking decision to cast Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor. He also brought in 'the fam' of Tosin Cole (Ryan), Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham), and cast the acclaimed Sacha Dhawan as the latest incarnation of The Master, plus Jo Martin as the mysterious Fugitive Doctor, adding new characters, layers and twists to the mythology of the show," said the BBC in a blog post.
"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," Chibnall added.
Advert
"Jodie's magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations. She's been the gold standard leading actor, shouldering the responsibility of being the first female Doctor with style, strength, warmth, generosity and humour. She captured the public imagination and continues to inspire adoration around the world, as well as from everyone on the production. I can't imagine working with a more inspiring Doctor - so I'm not going to!"
Whittaker thanked Chibnall for her "brilliant adventures", and added she'll take the lessons she's learned from Doctor Who with her through life.
"I know change can be scary and none of us know what's out there," she said. "That's why we keep looking. Travel Hopefully. The Universe will surprise you. Constantly."
