Jodie Whittaker has been announced as the next Doctor in Doctor Who, following the departure of Peter Capaldi.
Meet the Thirteenth Doctor #DoctorWho #Doctor13
In an interview with the BBC, Whittaker said she was "beyond excited" to play the Doctor and "begin this epic journey with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet".
"It’s more than an honour," she added. "It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait.”
Asked about what it is like to the first woman Doctor, she said: "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. It feels incredible."
She added: "I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because 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."
There's been a huge, mostly positive, reaction to the announcement on social media.
That Doctor Who announcement could be summed up as "Forest, Whittaker".
FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO. #Doctor13
Jodie Whittaker is the next Doctor Who. I will totally jump back into the show to give this new doctor a try. Woooo female doctor.
Terrific news! And about time. A new dawn. Congratulations to the excellent Jodie Whittaker. Here we go again...! #DoctorWho
I'll be able to buy my 5 year old niece Doctor Who merchandise where the woman is at the front. In charge. Not a companion. The Doctor. Fab.
Freema Agyeman, who starred as Martha Jones in the show, tweeted this reaction:
B O O M 🙌 Change isn't a dirty word!!!! 🦋 #Doctor13 https://t.co/TNmw2qnD1W
Colin Baker, the Sixth Doctor, wrote this:
Change my dears and not a moment too soon - she IS the Doctor whether you like it or not!
Well I never the BBC really did do the right thing and let the Doctor be in touch with her feminine side. As a father of daughters - result!
There had been speculation for some time that the next Doctor would be a woman, especially following this scene in the penultimate episode of the last series:
It sparked a lot of debate.
I took Daily Mail comments from people angry about a possible Female Dr Who and turned them into episode titles for… https://t.co/f3Hga2Da4E
*Doctor Who literally breaks the laws of physics* - Oh yeah makes sense *Doctor could be a woman* - IMPOSSIBLE HOW DARE YOU #doctor13
Whittaker is a star of stage and screen who most recently received critical acclaim for her role as Beth Latimer in the British drama Broadchurch.
Whittaker will make her debut during Peter Capaldi's last episode, which will be shown this Christmas.
