Many are excited about seeing Jodie Whittaker become the first female bodied Doctor in Doctor Who. A minority are annoyed that a woman has taken the role, but they are, as we say, a minority. So how does former Doctor Christopher Eccleston feel about the move?

Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor

Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor

Speaking on Radio 4’s Loose Ends this weekend, Eccleston was asked about the choice of Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor by Sara Cox.

He replied: “I’m just delighted it wasn’t Clive Anderson! There was a rumour... She’s working class, she’s northern, what can go wrong?”

It looks like Whittaker has the seal of approval from the man who helped bring Doctor Who back into the mainstream, with his own fantastic performance in the role.

His comments follow praise for the actress from other actors who have taken on the Doctor, including Peter Capaldi, David Tennant and Colin Baker.

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison however courted controversy at San Diego Comic Con earlier on in the year, saying that the Doctor may now no longer be “a role model for boys”.

He saw such a backlash for the comments that he took himself off Twitter altogether. Fellow actor Baker even responded immediately at SDCC, saying: “They’ve had 50 years of having a role model, so sorry, Peter, you’re talking rubbish there – absolute rubbish.

“You don’t have to be of a gender to be a role model. Can’t you be a role model as people?”

Davison has since apologised for the comments.

Whittaker meanwhile will be starring BBC drama series Trust Me, where she plays a woman… pretending to be a doctor! Incredible crossover potential there…

Doctor Who returns at Christmas for a special episode, before a new series begins in autumn next year.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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