Jodie Whittaker: It would be wrong if Doctor Who didn't acknowledge the past

Whittaker defended the show against critics who think the new series shouldn't play with history 
Face of the future: Jodie Whittaker has defended the new series of Doctor Who
BBC / BBC Studios
Emma Powell20 November 2018

Jodie Whittaker has defended Doctor Who against claims it has become too politically correct.

The latest series has had storylines involving racism, intolerance and other social issues, with critics blaming “subliminal PC lectures” for viewing figures dropping by millions since her debut.

Whittaker’s Time Lord crossed paths with civil rights activist Rosa Parks after taking the Tardis back to Alabama in 1955, before visiting Punjab in 1947 as the show took on the partition of India.

The star, 36, championed writer Chris Chibnall’s vision, saying it would be a bad move not to tackle the past in a show which travels through space and time.

Lighting duties: Jodie Whittaker was speaking as she turned on the Regent Street Christmas lights
PA

Speaking at the Regent Street Christmas lights switch on she told A list: “What’s the point of making a show if it doesn’t reflect society today? We have the opportunity with this show like no other to dip to future, to past, to present, to new worlds and time zones. There is never going to be a drought in the stories you can tell.

“It’s always topical. Chris is a very present-minded person who is very aware of the world he lives in and is passionate about storytelling. It would be wrong of him to not have used the past. He does it in a really beautiful way.”

Whittaker took over from Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, becoming the first woman to play the iconic role since the sci-fi hit launched in 1963. Her debut episode attracted an audience of 10.53 million but that had fallen to 7.76 million by the fifth episode.

Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who debut - in pictures

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She stars with Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, who play companions Graham, Ryan and Yasmin.

Whittaker joked that Gill provided healthy competition, forcing her to take on as many stunts as possible. One scene in her first episode saw her jumping between two cranes. “I’m very competitive — particularly with Mandip — so I thought I need to look cool and thought if Mandip can do it, then I can do it,” she said. “There are certain moments where [bosses] went ‘absolutely not’ because the insurance wouldn’t cover it, but episode one, I did it.”

Whittaker said she is looking forward to being as “surprised as an audience member” when she sits down to watch this year’s special on New Year’s Day. She won’t “bully” her relatives into watching but joked no one is allowed to say they aren’t “Whovians” any more.

Doctor Who is on BBC One, Sunday at 6:30pm

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