Jodie Whittaker Is The First Woman To Play The Doctor In "Doctor Who" And People Are Getting Super EmotionalSkip To ContentHomepageSign InSearch BuzzFeedSearch BuzzFeedlol Badge Feedwin Badge Feedtrending Badge FeedCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapPosted on 16 Jul 2017 Jodie Whittaker Is The First Woman To Play The Doctor In Doctor Who And People Are Getting Super Emotional The actor, known for her roles in Broadchurch, Venus, and Attack the Block, will take over from Peter Capaldi in December. There's been a huge reaction on social media, with many praising the casting. by Scott BryanBuzzFeed TV EditorFacebookPinterestTwitterMailLink Jodie Whittaker has been announced as the next Doctor in Doctor Who following the departure of Peter Capaldi BBC One @BBCOne Meet the Thirteenth Doctor #DoctorWho #Doctor13 Sun Jul 16 15:27:31 UTC+0000 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite In an interview with the BBC, Whittaker said she was "beyond excited" to play the Doctor and "begin this epic journey with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet". "It’s more than an honour," she added. "It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait.” Asked about what it is like to the first woman Doctor, she said: "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." She added: "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." There s been a huge mostly positive reaction to the announcement on social media Friz Frizzle @FrizFrizzle That Doctor Who announcement could be summed up as "Forest, Whittaker". Sun Jul 16 15:30:58 UTC+0000 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Plumpy @AdamTheBlampied FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO FEMALE DOCTOR WHO. #Doctor13 03:29 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Laura Kate Dale @LaurakBuzz Jodie Whittaker is the next Doctor Who. I will totally jump back into the show to give this new doctor a try. Woooo female doctor. 03:31 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Mark Gatiss @Markgatiss Terrific news! And about time. A new dawn. Congratulations to the excellent Jodie Whittaker. Here we go again...! #DoctorWho 04:42 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Susan Calman @SusanCalman I'll be able to buy my 5 year old niece Doctor Who merchandise where the woman is at the front. In charge. Not a companion. The Doctor. Fab. 03:59 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Freema Agyeman who starred as Martha Jones in the show tweeted this reaction Freema Agyeman @FreemaOfficial B O O M Change isn't a dirty word!!!! ? #Doctor13 https://t.co/TNmw2qnD1W 03:52 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Colin Baker the Sixth Doctor wrote this Colin Baker @SawbonesHex Change my dears and not a moment too soon - she IS the Doctor whether you like it or not! Sun Jul 16 15:46:38 UTC+0000 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Colin Baker @SawbonesHex Well I never the BBC really did do the right thing and let the Doctor be in touch with her feminine side. As a father of daughters - result! 03:30 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite There had been speculation for some time that the next Doctor would be a woman especially following this scene in the penultimate episode of the last series BBC / Doctor Who It sparked a lot of debate TechnicallyRon @TechnicallyRon I took Daily Mail comments from people angry about a possible Female Dr Who and turned them into episode titles for… https://t.co/f3Hga2Da4E Sat Jul 15 11:42:26 UTC+0000 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Ruth @anxiouslion *Doctor Who literally breaks the laws of physics* - Oh yeah makes sense *Doctor could be a woman* - IMPOSSIBLE HOW DARE YOU #doctor13 01:53 PM - 16 Jul 2017 Reply Retweet Favorite Whittaker is a star of stage and screen who most recently received critical acclaim for her role as Beth Latimer in the British drama Broadchurch ITV / Kudos Film After a stint at the Shakespeare's Globe in 2005, her first big film role was in the comedy Venus in 2006. She's since starred alongside John Boyega in the cult science fiction film Attack the Block as well as the movies St Trinian's and Ashes. On television, she's starred in an episode of Black Mirror, the period drama Cranford, and an episode of Jimmy McGovern's Accused. Her role as Beth Latimer, a grieving mother in Broadchurch, was one of her most recognisable roles, the crime drama bowing out earlier this year with 8.6 million viewers. Chris Chibnall, the creator and writer of Broadchurch, is joining Doctor Who as its showrunner. In an interview with the BBC he said: "I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. "Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way.” Whittaker will make her debut during Peter Capaldi s last episode which will be shown this Christmas BBC / Doctor Who Share This ArticleFacebook PinterestTwitterMailLink TV and MoviesGet all the best moments in pop culture & entertainment delivered to your inbox.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.