Doctor Who Star Jodie Whittaker To Leave After Next Season – Report

The annual holiday special of the BBC's long-running sci-fi show Doctor Who screened last week, and Season 13 of the show is due later in 2021. However, it has been reported that this might be the final season for current star Jodie Whittaker.

The news comes via the UK newspaper the Mirror, which states that Whittaker intends to leave the role as the iconic Timelord after Season 13. It quotes a source from the production, who says, "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."

In response to these rumors, the BBC simply stated, "We won't be commenting on any speculation around Jodie's future on the show."

This will be Whittaker's third season as the Doctor. The majority of the 12 previous actors also appeared for three seasons; only the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor appeared for more. Whittaker took over from Peter Capaldi in 2018.

Production on Doctor Who Season 13 started in November. Due to the safety precautions in place, showrunner Chris Chibnall stated the next season will only have 8 episodes instead of the usual 11.

In related news, it was reported in August that Christopher Eccleston, who played the Doctor in the first reboot season back in 2005, will return to the role for a new series of audio adventures. The first volume of Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be released in May next year.