Doctor Who: BBC responds to report Jodie Whittaker is leaving show

Whittaker herself previously implied she was enjoying the show too much to quit

The BBC has said it will not comment on a recent report that Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker is leaving the show after completing her third series.

A report in The Mirror claimed that the actor, who plays the first-ever female Time Lord, was planning to quit after the conclusion of its forthcoming 13th season.

Other Doctor Who stars, including Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, have left after three series of the sci-fi drama.

The BBC told Digital Spy: “We won't be commenting on any speculation around Jodie's future on the show.”

Whittaker herself had recently implied she wanted to continue to star in Doctor Who.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she said she had felt sad filming the New Year’s Day special due to the departures of her co-stars, Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole.

However, she said she still loved appearing on the show and struggled to consider her career beyond it.

“As far as I'm concerned, right now, I'm the Doctor and that's taking up everything of me, as an actor,” she said. “And to think something beyond that, I can't put my head there, and I don't want to.”

Doctor Who series 13 will air just eight episodes this autumn due to filming disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The New Year’s Day special is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. 

The Independent gave the episode five stars, praising Whittaker’s performance as well as the writing of showrunner Chris Chibnall.