Entertainment
Doctor Who special for Easter confirmed as Bradley Walsh is rumoured to return
Jodie Whittaker will return as the Time Lord for the new special (Picture: BBC)
Doctor Who fans don’t have long to wait till the Time Lord returns to screens with the next special confirmed for Easter.
Jodie Whittaker’s penultimate performance as the Doctor will be in Legend of the Sea Devils, an hour-long special due to premiere in April.
The episode will be the second special in a trilogy that marks Jodie’s final time playing the 13th doctor.
Filming for the remaining specials began in locations in Wales, where former Doctor Who stars Bradley Walsh and Jacob Anderson have been spotted, leading many fans to believe they may be making a return to the show.
Bradley, who hosts popular game show The Chase, played Graham O’Brien in series 11 and 12 of Doctor Who, during Jodie’s first two seasons as the Time Lord.
The Easter premiere has been revealed by the episode’s director Haolu Wang, who has previously directed short films and announced on her webpage with agent Independent Talent that she will be directing the highly-anticipated special, which is due to air in 2022.
Jodie will make her penultimate appearance as the Doctor (Picture: BBC Studios/James Pardon)
The trilogy will also be Chris Chibnall’s last time as the sci-fi drama’s showrunner.
Announcing the specials last year, Chris said: ‘Jodie and I made a “three series and out” pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast.
‘So now our shift is done, and we’re handing back the TARDIS keys.’
The first special in Jodie’s final trilogy aired on New Year’s Day, and the final one is due in Autumn, according to the BBC.
The upcoming second special, titled Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils, will follow the Doctor and her companions (including returners Mandip Gill and John Bishop and new guest stars Crystal Yu, Arthur Lee and Marlow Chan-Reeves) save a small coastal village in 19th century China that is under threat from a pirate queen and an alien force.
The official announcement of who will play the 14th doctor, replacing Jodie after her four years on the show, is expected within weeks.
Rumours circulating on who it could be have included spin-off star Fady Elsayed, 28, Years and Years’ Olly Alexander, 31, and Lydia West, 28, who starred alongside Olly in the popular Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin.
More: Doctor Who
Jodie’s already filmed her final scenes as the Doctor and recently said leaving the sci-fi epic behind left her ‘grief-stricken’.
Whoever takes on the role as the Time Lord will have big boots to fill, as Doctor Who approaches its 60th anniversary in 2023.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
