Speculation as to who would be replacing Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who continues online after news broke yesterday that the 38-year-old actress would not be returning to the role after playing it for three seasons.
The Daily Mail reports that betting and gambling company Ladbrokes has 33-year-old Michaela Coel and 43-year-old Richard Ayoade as the favorites to take over Whittaker as soon as she exits the role after the upcoming season.
Coel’s profile has risen in the past few years after award-winning turns in Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You, both television series that she created and wrote. Odds at Ladbrokes for Coel taking over the role are at 5/1.
Ayoade, meanwhile, is best known for his award-winning performance in the sitcom The IT Crowd. The actor also hosts The Big Fat Quiz of the Year as well as the new The Crystal Maze. Ladbrokes says there are 6/1 odds of him taking over the role of Doctor Who.
Rounding out the list of potential Doctor Whos are Kris Marshall at 6/1 odds, Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge at 8/1, and actors Jodie Comer and John Boyega, both at 10/1 odds.
Other names that have been floated as possible new Doctors include Gillian Anderson, Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page, Charlotte Ritchie, Julia Foster, Idris Elba, Ben Whishaw, Tom Ellis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Sheen, Eddie Radmayne, Kris Marshall, Tom Rosenthal, and James Norton.
Aside from cast speculation, the news also prompted an outpouring of support from Doctor Who fans who heaped praises on Whittaker. The actress has been called “a beaming light of hope,” as well as an actress who has made fans watch the long-running show again.
All the speculation and support, of course, is the result of Whittaker supposedly leaving Doctor Who after three seasons. The actress first took over the role in 2017, becoming the first female Doctor Who. Her leaving the show after three seasons follows the pattern of the Doctor being replaced in the same amount of time.
The report claiming that Whittaker is set to leave the show says the production is already looking for a replacement for the actress, with scenes of the Doctor’s latest regeneration set to be filmed in the following months.
Of course, all of this is still speculation as no official confirmation of Whittaker leaving the show has been made. As reported by Deadline, Doctor Who producer BBC Studios has neither confirmed nor denied the news around Whittaker.
In a statement, the studio said that there would be no comment from their side regarding Whittaker’s tenure on the show.