Doctor Who: Chewing Gum’s Michaela Coel and Richard Ayoade lead bookies’ favourites

5

View
comments

Michaela Coel and Richard Ayoade have emerged as the bookies’ favourites to replace Jodie Whittaker as the 14th Doctor Who.

The Chewing Gum actress, 33, and the IT Crowd actor, 43, lead the odds with Ladbrokes at 5/1 and 6/1 respectively, one day after it was claimed Jodie was bowing out at the end of the new series.

Michaela, 33, has won acclaim for her BAFTA-winning role in Chewing Gum and more recently in BBC/HBO drama, I May Destroy You – making her the hot favourite.   

I May Destroy You, became one of the summer’s most critically-acclaimed shows around the world.  

The 12-part BBC1 series, which also premiered on HBO, fearlessly dives into hard-hitting issues affecting the lives of young London-based writer Arabella (Michaela) and her close group of friends.

It follows Arabella as she comes to terms with a sexual assault after her drink was spiked at a nightclub, in a storyline based on the harrowing real-life experience of Michaela, who also wrote, co-directed and executive produced the series.

While Richard is one of Britain’s best-loved TV faces, winning a BAFTA for The IT Crowd and presenting shows such as The Big Fat Quiz of the Year and The Crystal Maze.

Death In Paradise star Kris Marshall, 47, is the third favourite at 6/1. Kris was widely rumoured to be the 13th Doctor back in 2017 with mounting speculation he could finally step into the Tardis in 2021.

Fleabag and Killing Eve mastermind Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 35, has odds of 8/1, while Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, 27, and Star Wars actor John Boyega are at 10/1.

Rounding off the favourites are The League of Gentleman star Reece Shearsmith at 12/1. 

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: ‘It really is a case of Doctor ‘Who?’ at the moment following Jodie Whittaker’s announcement, and while Michaela Coel leads the betting, Richard Ayoade is close behind as a popular second-favourite.’

Other names in the frame include Line of Duty star Vicky McClure, Game Of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer, Maxine Peake, James Norton and Tom Rosenthal.     

This comes as Doctor Who fans lauded Jodie for showing ‘women can be heroes too’ amid claims the actress is quitting the show at the end of the next series.

The actress, is said to have told bosses of the BBC sci-fi drama series that she won’t return after the forthcoming new season, and that they’ll need to start thinking about recasting the role of the Time Lord. 

The news of Jodie’s alleged departure left fans emotional with viewers praising the ‘inspiring’ star for making them ‘fall in love with the show again’ during her tenure as the 13th Doctor.

One fan wrote: ‘Jodie Whittaker was always there for fans, inspiring the younger generation that women can be heroes too. They have someone to look up to. She’s truly a remarkable person.’   

Speaking of Jodie’s reported departure from the show, a source told The Daily Mirror: ‘It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration. 

‘Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting.   

A BBC spokesman told Digital Spy: ‘We won’t be commenting on any speculation around Jodie’s future on the show.’

The claims sparked a wave of social media reaction, with one fan writing: ‘Just want to join the #JodieOurDoctor and say how much she and 13 mean to me.’  

Another wrote: ‘In light of the rumours, I just wanted to say that Jodie Whittaker is one of my favourite incarnations of the Doctor. 

‘In person and on screen, she’s a beaming light of hope, illuminating the darkest of days. A Doctor I’ll always hold close to the hearts

Another praised Jodie’s portrayal for making them watch the show again, writing: ‘My Doctor, The Doctor that made me fall in love fully with the show again and The Doctor that taught me that being different is okay.

‘If this is the end, it’ll be the saddest departure of a Doctor…’  

One more fan typed: ‘I think everyone is offline just now and no wonder since all the horrible news, but jodie whittaker will always be our doctor no matter what happens 

The series – which has been on the air on and off since 1963 – typically sees the titular Doctor ‘regenerate’ every three-four years.

It’s said that Jodie – who has also starred in the likes of Broadchurch, Black Mirror and The Smoke during her career – always planned to stick to this rhythm. It is also said she wants to pursue other roles.  

It looks like that won’t be the only change to the show because John Bishop has joined the cast for upcoming series 13.

The comedian, 54, will take on the role of Dan as he boards the TARDIS.

The news comes after John vowed to return to work within weeks on Thursday amid his coronavirus battle.

Talking about the new role, the comedian said: ‘If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it.   

‘It’s an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn’t wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.’ 

Showrunner, Chris Chibnall, said: ‘It’s time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan. Oh, we’ve had to keep this one secret for a long, long time. 

‘Our conversations started with John even before the pandemic hit. The character of Dan was built for him, and it’s a joy to have him aboard the TARDIS.’

While executive producer of BBC Studios, Matt Stevens, added: ‘It’s been a total joy having John join the cast and we’ve been having a lot fun on set already. We can’t wait for you to meet Dan when the show returns later this year.’

With Piers Wenger, controller BBC Drama, saying: ‘We are beyond thrilled to have John Bishop joining Doctor Who. Alongside Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill.  

‘John is a wonderful addition to the show and we have no doubt that series 13 is going to be another thrilling set of adventures for the Doctor.’ 

John’s character Dan will find himself embroiled in the Doctor’s adventures and will face ‘evil alien races beyond his wildest nightmares’ alongside The Doctor and Yaz. 

Filming for series 13 began earlier this year in November and John is set to make his first appearance later in 2021.  

Meanwhile, In January 2020, Jodie told Entertainment Weekly: ‘I absolutely adore [the role]. At some point, these shoes are going to be handed on, but it’s not yet. I’m clinging on tight!’ 

Jodie made history when she was announced as the Thirteenth (and first ever female) Doctor in July 2017.

She took the role from the prior star of the show, Peter Capaldi, who played the iconic character from 2014-2017. 

He said after she was cast that he had always intended to introduce the first female Doctor, and that she was his first choice.

Of the fact that the Doctor would be female, Jodie said: ‘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.’

She made her first appearance in the 2017 Christmas special, Twice Upon A Time.

Her first full series ran from October-December 2018, with a New Year’s one-off at the start of 2019.

Jodie’s second season – the 12th of the revived era and 38th overall – aired January-March 2020. 

On Friday, a New Year’s 2021 special aired on BBC One, with the next full season set for later this year – presumably with a new Doctor taking over at the end of it.

The actor to play the role the longest was Tom Baker. He was the Fourth Doctor from 1974-1980, across seven seasons. 

The actor to take on the role for the shortest length of time was Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston who appeared in just one season, in 2005.

Eccleston fronted the show as it was rebooted, following 16 years away from TV screens. Since then, David Tennant and Matt Smith have led the show.

Jodie’s first season as the Doctor averaged at almost 8 million viewers across the series, just shy of David Tennant’s final turn in the role. 

Her next season dropped to an average of 5.40 million. 

Last year, Jodie joined forces for the first time with ex-stars Tennant and Smith in a reunion for HBO Max, to reminisce together about their experiences on the iconic show.

Detailing the importance of being in a role that has been played by so many other actors, David admitted the show was ‘so precious’ to him.

‘There’s an expectation of what it will be like and what it actually is I suppose,’ he explained. ‘Growing up in Britain you’re very aware of Doctor Who as it has been ubiquitous in our lives even if it wasn’t on TV. 

‘So when you realise it’s your turn you do kind of know what that means in terms of loss of anonymity, and the fact the first line of your obituary has almost certainly been written but I think that’s different to knowing what it feels like and carrying that around.

‘It’s a huge privilege and also feels very precious because people love it so much, and it means so much to people all through their lives, you just want to make sure you don’t break it. you want it to be special, precious and exciting for the next generation as it was for the old one.’

Matt then chimed in by saying: ‘I once had someone shout across the street, and I hadn’t shot a single frame, ‘don’t break Doctor Who!” 

Sharing a similar story, Jodie admitted: ‘When I was announced, and you haven’t shot anything have you, I got a girl come up to me in a cafe and I was so excited because I was like ‘it’s my demographic’, she was sixteen and said, ‘I really wanted it to be Ben Whishaw!”

Teasing her over the encounter, Matt claimed ‘everyone wanted Ben Whishaw’ while David joked that ‘he would have been really good.’  

Going on to discuss what it’s been like in the role, Jodie went on: ‘Because I haven’t handed off so I’m still in that strange floating space where I own it, I’m not kicked out of the club yet. 

Going on to discuss what it’s been like in the role, Jodie went on: ‘Because I haven’t handed off so I’m still in that strange floating space where I own it, I’m not kicked out of the club yet.  

‘The thing I would say to the next person is the pressure of the history of the show is all made up in your own head, on set all the crew who have transitioned onto the show they are kind of excited and with you to bring something new because that is the beauty of this as a role. 

‘You’re not supposed to be recreating what someone did you’re supposed to take it. There is a pressure and an actor’s monologue for a long time, but when you’re in your doctor’s clothes and you’ve got your own friends in it feels in a weird way all that pressure disappears because it’s yours to play with.’

Talking about handing off the show, David said of his five-year tenure as the Tenth Doctor which ended in 2010: ‘You always know that’s coming because you know what you’re getting into. 

 ‘But it’s like what Jodie says, when you’re in it you’re like ‘yeah this is it, this is my TARDIS’, it is quite weird that it carries on without you.

‘I was there on Matt’s first day and you’re kind of there and then Matt shows up and we say hello and have our photograph taken and then you walk off and they say right next, and the camera swings around to the next one. 

‘There this thought of ‘oh I think for a second I felt indispensable’ but then that’s how that show works, and then you become part of the history of it.’

Matt then added: ‘I’ve got that picture David and I gave it to my granddad and you’re smiling at me as if like ‘you’ve got no idea’ and I look like I’m peeing myself or something, I just look so nervous. 

‘The thing I miss, the one thing is the Christmas special, that’s just fantastic. It’s a great thing to pass on, it’s a great gift to go ‘good luck, don’t be too good!”

David went on: ‘It never goes away, it’s 15 years since I did it and I’m here today, it never goes away.’

The trio also chatted about the memorabilia they have from the show, after eagle-eyed fans noticed David had a TARDIS in his garden during his show Staged.

Admitting it wasn’t a real one, David said it was made for his kids by their step-granddad who ‘got very into [the show] briefly and then they moved on like the fickle heart breakers that they are.’

Jodie said she had a few Funko Pops of the Thirteenth Doctor, while Matt admitted he had two Cybermen from the show.

Showing off the memorabilia to his fellow Time Lords, Matt claimed it was a parting gift which David joked he was ‘furious’ about given he didn’t get given anything.