While viewers loved seeing the Doctor in action for the New Year's Day special episode of Doctor Who, according to reports, Jodie Whittaker won't be in the role for much longer. But are the rumours true?
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According to The Mirror, Jodie is thought to be leaving at the end of the upcoming season 13, which will see the BBC looking for a replacement to star as the beloved character.
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A source told the publication that the show is getting ready for a regeneration (when the current Doctor turns into the new incarnation) and that scenes with the 14th Doctor will be filmed in due course.
The BBC has responded to the reports, and a spokesperson told HELLO!: "We won’t be commenting on any speculation about Jodie’s future on the show."
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Speaking about playing the iconic character, Jodie previously said it would be "too upsetting" to leave the role. She told The Telegraph: "To even question an endpoint [of Doctor Who] would be too upsetting.
The news comes shortly after Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole left the show
"I had this idea that fame from Doctor Who would be like that Notting Hill image of Rhys Ifans [when he opens the front door to a horde of paparazzi] and it isn’t. If you bump into a Whovian, it genuinely makes both of your days. There’s something emotional, poetic and very humbling about being in the show, because you’re a tiny little jigsaw piece of something that is so precious to so many people."
Fans were quick to express their sadness at the reports, with one writing: "I refuse to believe the rumour Jodie Whittaker is leaving Doctor Who. Not only has she been a fantastic Doctor, she has been a great ambassador of the show too." Another added: "It’s a shame if the Jodie Whittaker rumours are true, but doing three seasons & then leaving is kinda tradition at this point."
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