Departing Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker admitted she will never entirely let go of the iconic role despite her exit.
Speaking in America, the 38-year-old actress revealed the role has been emotionally tough to deal with after shooting gruelling series, despite her closeness with her cast.
She said co-stars Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) felt like “family”.
But her tenure in the Tardis has seen the show’s audience figures sink dramatically, although global interest remains huge.
Jodie, who is said to be leaving the show after the next series, reflected on what leaving would mean in her US chat last year.
Jodie Whittaker once said she will never leave the role entirely (Image: BBC / BBC Studios)
She said: “What is wonderful is I’ll feel so emotional and I’ll be handing over the baton and then not quite letting go.
“But when that time comes, it will be so exciting to see, because only a few of us know what this is like and it’s such a small family, particularly as a Doctor.
“This is a club that you’re always a member and knowing that you get to give someone else a key is really exciting.”
She reflected on how matching the iconic status of Doctor Who would be a tough ask in her future career: “This is like no job. I can’t recreate this.”
The star has played the Doctor for three years (Image: BBC / Ben Blackall l)
Jodie said: “You don’t go onto another job and go, ‘Oh yeah, I’m playing another alien.’
“It’s probably going to be very rare, but I want to work with the people that I love and there’s lots of them, and I think to be able to make our own stuff is really exciting, and I think jobs like this put you in a place where you’re meeting such extraordinary people.”
The star is said to be quitting at the end of the next series which is due to air in the autumn.
Like the majority of other actors who have played the character, Jodie reportedly told BBC bosses she too only wanted to play the Doctor for three years.
The Mirror has reported that an insider claims bosses are being “hush-hush” but “everybody knows she is leaving”.
They also claimed bosses are already “gearing up for a regeneration”.
The insider told the publication: “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.
“It’s very exciting.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
