Whittaker ‘enjoying’ role as Doctor Who pioneer

Jodie Whittaker has said she is enjoying the conversation around being the first female lead in Doctor Who, but she hopes it is not still a “thing” in the near future.

The actress made history when she was unveiled as the next Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series last year – the first woman to ever play the Time Lord.

Ahead of her debut in October, Whittaker, 36, told The Big Issue magazine: “It’s wonderful being the first Doctor who is a female and I am enjoying the conversation.

“But if it is still a thing in five years’ time? If this would still be as big a moment ... I just hope we start to see that women are not a genre in that sense.”

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Me star added: “When I started to audition, I felt woefully under-qualified. But [executive producer] Chris [Chibnall] explained a new perspective is exactly what he wanted.

“That is the wonderful thing about these huge shoes I am filling,” she said. “No one plays it the same. There is no pressure on me in that sense.”