Jodie Whittaker will be the 13th Doctor Who

As promised, BBC announced the newest actor to play The Doctor after the Wimbledon finals.  And the winner is: JODIE WHITTAKER!  In a interview with the BBC, Whittaker commented that "It's more than an honor to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can't wait."

Whittaker is best know for playing Beth Latimer in BROADCHURCH (also created by new DOCTOR WHO showrunner Chris Chibnall).  She was excellent in BROADCHURCH, and I think she has a lot of talent she can bring to the role.  She showed a great range as Beth, and that is something you really need as a performer to pull of a successful version of The Doctor. I also happen to think she's a very attractive woman.  And before I get people after me with torches for being sexist, let's not pretend that there weren't many female viewers who liked David Tennant and Matt Smith for their locks.  There was quite a bit of complaining about the "old ugly man taking over the role" when Capaldi took over. 

I expect a lot will be said about The Doctor regenerating as a woman, but let's face it, they have been hinting at this possibility for a while now.  DOCTOR WHO has always been about dramatic change from incarnation to incarnation.  Jodie Whittaker is a strong actress and she will be able to make the role her own. We have had almost 55 years of white male doctors, it was definitely time for a change.  

Whittaker will likely be making her debut in this year's Christmas special, taking over from Peter Capaldi.  

After making the announcement, BBC published a great interview with Whittaker about taking on this challenging, iconic role.  

Some highlights from that interview:

Why did you want the role?
To be asked to play the ultimate character, to get to play pretend in the truest form: this is why I wanted to be an actor in the first place. To be able to play someone who is literally reinvented on screen, with all the freedoms that brings - what an unbelievable opportunity. And added to that, to be the first woman in that role.

Has it been hard to keep the secret?
Yes. Very hard! I’ve told a lot of lies! I’ve embroiled myself in a whole world of lies which is going to come back at me when this is announced!

Did you have a codename and if so what was it?
In my home, and with my agent, it was The Clooney. Because to me and my husband, George is an iconic guy. And we thought, what’s a really famous iconic name? It was just fitting.

What does it feel like to be the first woman Doctor?
It feels completely overwhelming; as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible.

What do you want to tell the fans?
I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.