‘Grief-stricken’ Jodie Whittaker admits she’s still crying over Doctor Who exit: ‘I’m clinging on’-Cydney Yeates-Entertainment – Metro

Just a matter of weeks stand in the way of Jodie Whittaker’s last Doctor Who episode (Picture: BBC)

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has shared her heartache at hanging up her coattails as the 13th Doctor, admitting that she’s still an emotional wreck at leaving the franchise.

A feature-length centenary special, titled The Power Of The Doctor, will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on October 23, marking the end her time on the sci-fi series after starring in the show since 2017.

Speaking on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday, Whittaker said that she’s still coming to terms with her departure despite having filmed her final moments last year.

‘I’ve had a whole year to get my head around leaving and I’m still not there,’ Whittaker confessed.

‘I’m still crying about it; I’m still clinging on. I’m reluctantly handing over the shoes.’

But despite her upset, she noted: ‘It’s only a good thing to end something and be just grief-ridden because it’s such a wonderful experience. There’s no negative.’

Whittaker shared her heartache at bowing out of the BBC show (Picture: BBC)

Whittaker teased that her final outing is one for the Whovians, adding that all the ‘greats’ are in one episode, and it’s 90-minutes long.

Shedding light on how the famous regeneration scene is filmed, she revealed she didn’t actually meet her predecessor Peter Capaldi on the set of Doctor Who… and the same goes for Ncuti Gatwa, who will be taking on the role of the 14th Doctor.

‘It’s the power of television,’ she said.

Teasing Gatwa’s takeover, Whittaker continued: ‘Luckily for me, I cannot ruin it, I cannot give any spoilers, because I know nothing. I’ve never met Ncuti but I was given his number and unfortunately for him, I am a nine-minute WhatsApp leaver and have sent him so many notes.. he’s already my favourite.’

Ncuti Gatwa has been confirmed as the new Time Lord and will take over from Whittaker (Picture: Getty)

The Power Of The Doctor will see Whittaker’s 13th Doctor fight for her existence against some of her deadliest enemies, including The Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen.

This will be the first time the three classic adversaries of the Doctor all feature in a single storyline since the show returned to BBC One in 2005.

The Time Lord will face further issues including deciphering who is attacking a speeding bullet train on the edges of a distant galaxy and why seismologists are going missing from 21st-century Earth.

She will also be left wondering who is defacing some of history’s most famous paintings and why a Dalek is trying to make contact with her after all these years.

A first look at the anniversary special earlier in the year revealed that two of the Doctor’s companions from earlier eras will reprise their roles.

Janet Fielding will return as Tegan Jovanka, the companion to the fourth and fifth Doctors, while Sophie Aldred will reprise her role as Ace – companion to the seventh Doctor.

Also set to return is actor Sacha Dhawan, who last appeared as The Master in series 12’s final episode The Timeless Children.

The special will also star Mandip Gill and John Bishop.

Whittaker announced in July 2021 that she would be leaving the BBC sci-fi drama after a trio of specials.

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Showrunner Chris Chibnall is also set to leave the programme to be replaced by Russell T Davies, who was behind the 2005 revival of the show.

Tennant, the 10th Time Lord, will also return to the show alongside Catherine Tate, who played his companion Donna Noble, to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

The Power Of The Doctor will air on Sunday October 23 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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