Doctor Who: Who will play the 14th Doctor? All the favourites as Jodie Whittaker leaves

Olly Alexander and Michaela Coel are two of the favourites to take over from Jodie Whittaker (Picture: BBC)

It’s official! Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall are stepping down from Doctor Who in autumn 2022, leaving a space wide open for the 14th Doctor.

Rumours had been circulating about Jodie’s exit this year ahead of her third series in the role, with the pair confirming that they were always going to leave after three series.

Becoming the first woman to play the iconic role, Jodie instantly won fans for her portrayal of the Time Lord and fans will be gutted to see her go.

However, talk has already turned to who might be next in line for the role.

The bookies have got their guesses all lined up.

Olly Alexander

Olly’s agent denied the rumours – but could it be a bluff? (Picture: Getty Images)

Years and Years singer Olly is currently the favourite to take on the role, after he stunned in Russell T Davies’ drama It’s A Sin.

He’s the clear front-runner at 4/6 odds, according to Betway – despite the fact that his agent has outright denied it.

Martha Kim wrote on Instagram: ‘Even though Olly is often contacted by Cybermen, I’m afraid I have to exterminate this speculation

‘As nice as it is to see interest in this story regenerate, it just isn’t true. As Ood as it might sound, Olly is focusing on his music, for the time being.’

Michaela Coel

Michaela has had an amazing few years (Picture: WireImage )

I May Destroy You star Michaela is one of the other front-runners to take over from Jodie, after her huge success over the past few years.

Her odds are currently 10/1 – however, she’s been in the running for some years now.

In 2017, she urged punters not to bet on her and to ‘save your money’ – a tip they clearly haven’t referred back to this time around.

Richard Ayoade

Richard is the fans’ pick according to our poll (Picture: Getty Images)

IT Crowd star Richard would certainly bring a unique charm to the Doctor and is currently third favourite.

His odds are 12/1, placing him just behind Olly and Michaela.

However, in a poll conducted by Metro.co.uk, fans voted him their favourite – so he’s not out of the running.

Maxine Peake

Maxine could be what the show needs (Picture: WireImage)

Silk actress Maxine is a slight wildcard on the list, but she could be exactly what the show is looking for.

Her odds are currently 16/1 and she joins Michaela as one of the most likely actresses to follow in Jodie’s footsteps to become the second actress to officially play the role.

Natalie Dormer

Natalie could turn her hand to sci-fi (Picture: Getty Images for IMDb)

Natalie’s already conquered fantasy with her role as Margaery Tyrell in Game Of Thrones, so could she be set to turn her hand to sci-fi next?

Natalie’s odds match Maxine’s at 16/1 – so could it be her turn for a trip in the Tardis? Only time will tell.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Phoebe would make the role completely her own (Picture: FilmMagic)

Comedy is an essential part of Doctor Who, and if Fleabag star Phoebe was to take on the role, there would certainly be plenty of it.

The star has been incredibly busy, what with working on the upcoming James Bond script and all, but it could be time for her to add another string to her bow.

Jo Martin

Jo is surprisingly not one of the top choices with the bookies, but with fans, she’s quite the obvious choice to take over from Jodie.

She’s already played the Doctor in series 12 episode Fugitive of the Judoon, with fans loving her introduction.

Her time was seemingly cut short though – could she be set to return?

Doctor Who returns to BBC One this autumn.

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