Jodie Whittaker says the character of Doctor Who is “much more than a role” and that having fellow castmates leave throughout her tenure had been “heartbreaking”.
The actress, who was the first woman to portray the famous BBC Timelord, said she had not thought the role would be as “emotionally challenging” as it had been, but that she had been “caught up in the euphoria of it all”.
Whittaker was the 13th iteration of the character and played the Doctor since 2017, after she took over the role from Peter Capaldi.
Her final episode, titled The Power Of The Doctor, is due to air on October 23.
Throughout her time playing the character she has starred alongside actors including Mandip Gill, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and comedian John Bishop.
Speaking to The Big Issue about her time on the show, she said: “It’s so much more than a role.”
“It’s a whole world. And it’s the most exciting world to be in.”
She added: “I got caught up in the euphoria of it all like everyone else. But that’s the beauty of this job. You get to hand it on. And you get to discover, like a fan, where it is going to go next.”
The actress said she had always felt supported in the role, despite online backlash over the female casting of a previously all-male character.
Asked if she had any regrets, she replied: “None. I would have loved it if my last season had been me, Mandip and John, plus Brad and Tosin.
“When those guys left I found it really heartbreaking – it was like breaking up the band.
“But then we got a great new band member. So it’s not a regret, just a petulant child who doesn’t like change.”
Whittaker will be replaced as the Doctor by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, who she said was “far more qualified than me”.
The full interview with Whittaker can be read in this week’s Big Issue Magazine.