‘She changed my life’: Doctor Who fans celebrate Jodie Whittaker on her birthday

Doctor Who fans have showered Jodie Whittaker with messages of admiration in celebration of her birthday as rumours continue to swirl concerning her future on the BBC series.

On Thursday June 17, Jodie celebrates her 39th birthday.

Coincidentally, the Broadchurch star shares her birthday with another Doctor Who alum: Arthur Davill, who played Rory opposite Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond and Matt Smith’s Doctor, who also turns 39 today.

To mark the occasion of Jodie’s birthday, numerous Whovians have shared posts on social media explaining just how much she means to them, not only as an actor but also as a person.

One person wrote that the actor has ‘changed my life in so many ways and I can’t thank her enough’.

‘She is a brilliant actor and a wonderful human being. Happy birthday to our one and only Jodie Whittaker,’ they added.

Someone else said that the ‘brilliant’ Jodie ‘not only has magnificent talent, but is the embodiment of the ethos of the show – a beacon of kindness, positivity, inclusivity and fun’.

Another fan said that Jodie’s ‘sincere kindness’ is evident from her interactions with fans, videos and interviews, which is why ‘she was a perfect candidate to play the Doctor’.

‘Happy birthday to the human epitome of sunshine, Jodie Whittaker. No one on the planet brings joy quite like you, and every day I’m thankful for it,’ a fan said.

One person explained that before Jodie arrived on Doctor Who as the Thirteenth Doctor, they had become a ‘casual viewer’, with Jodie making them ‘fall back in love’ with the sci-fi saga.

‘Happy birthday Jodie Whittaker, I hope you know how much you mean to me and millions of others across the world,’ another viewer said, emphasising just how far-reaching Jodie’s fanbase is across the globe.

Jodie, who has starred in TV programmes and films including Black Mirror, Attack The Block and St Trinian’s, first joined Doctor Who as the latest incarnation of the Time Lord in 2017.

It’s been rumoured that she will be leaving Doctor Who after the show’s special episodes air in 2022, although the BBC declined to comment on the reports.

If Jodie does leave after the next series of Doctor Who, then she’ll be following in the footsteps of previous Doctors including David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi who also starred in three seasons each.

Amid the speculation of Jodie’s departure, it has been revealed that she won’t appear on the cover of the Doctor Who Annual for 2022.

Although she has been on the cover for the past three years, this will mark the first time in the nearly 60-year history of the publication that a Doctor hasn’t been pictured on the front, with an illustration of the Tardis taking her place.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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