Bradley Walsh has been cast as the new Doctor Who companion, according to reports. The 57-year-old Chase host is set to join Jodie Whittaker, the show’s first female Doctor, when the new series gets underway. He is replacing Pearl Mackie, who played Bill Potts, the companion to Peter Capaldi's Time Lord. It means that the BBC has switched the genders for both the Doctor and the companion.
Bradley Walsh has reportedly been cast as the new Doctor Who companion
Although the news is yet to be made official, Bradley is said to have been informed. "Bradley is super excited to be joining the cast of Doctor Who in such a key role," an insider told the Mirror. "It means that his schedule over the coming months will be jam-packed – so he won't be able to continue with the full range of programmes he currently makes for ITV.
STORY: How Jodie Whittaker kept Doctor Who role secret with a code word
"But crucially, it won't affect his role as presenter for The Chase. He loves that show with a passion and so does the audience, so he's delighted to have found a way to make it all work."
Jodie Whittaker is the first female Doctor in the show's history
Speculation has been at an all-time high ever since it was revealed that Jodie, 35, would become the first woman in the show's history to take on the iconic role. Previous Doctor Who companions have included Billie Piper, who supported previous Doctors Christopher Ecclestone and David Tennant, and Karen Gillan and Jenna Coleman, who worked alongside the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith.