Third time’s the charm

Jodie Whittaker marks her third year as a Time Lord with a Doctor Who special, writes Katie Ellis

WHILE she’d love a sonic screwdriver of her own in real life, Jodie Whittaker is more than happy with what fantasy and Doctor has brought her so far. The 13th Doctor returns to mark her third anniversary as a Time Lord, with the fuss over the first female in the role having long died down.

The 38-year-old Yorkshire actress endured her fair share of criticism during her debut adventures through time and space, but Whovians or not, everyone is glad to see her back this New Year.

As the title suggests, Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks also sees the return of some iconic baddies.

Whittaker admits that even she gets scared by some of her close encounters, even after two full seasons and three Christmas specials of alien-busting.

Without giving any spoilers, the new series picks up where season 12 left things, she reveals.

“She has no idea about what is going on on Earth, so we are in a position where The Doctor is alone in this prison while the gang are together on Earth.”

While the return of the Daleks will thrill diehards, Whittaker says The Master has been her favourite villain so far.

”Just because the writing and the length of scenes for me and Sacha (Dhawan) were just brilliant. We would have four or five pages of stand-offs. I love his trickery, his revenge and how he is so quick to switch on you. I found all of that incredible.”

She adds: “Playing The Doctor, with all of these classic villains and monsters, is amazing but The Master and I have our own relationship and our own experience.”

Looking back over her three years in the job, the Broadchurch star recalls her first days on set.

“I remember my first big speech on a bloomin’ crane,” she reveals with a laugh.

“I was completely obsessed with the health and safety of the crane. Once we went and we realised it was alright and me and Tim Shaw weren’t going to fall off, we got into it. It was pi--ing it down [raining] too. It was really Welsh weather ... everything about it was epic.”

One-time Doctor David Tennant has said the most gutwrenching scenes he filmed as The Doctor were his last ones

– a prospect Whittaker is too emotional to face.

“If I even think about leaving, it makes me cry,” she says.

“When it happens, I can pre-empt that it will be my most devastating moment.”

She still regards her first episode as the most special in her career: “It was an incredible way to jump into this adventure. Emotionally, that is the episode that is the most special to me.”

Her greatest lesson from The Doctor?

“That love and hope transcends time and space.”

DOCTOR WHO: REVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS STREAMING, ABC IVIEW