Jodie Whittaker has revealed she will quit the role of Doctor Who at the end of the next series.
The 38-year-old actor told BBC bosses she intends to stick to the traditional three-series stint on the show.
Most of Whittaker's predecessors called time on the Time Lord after their third jaunt in the TARDIS.
According to the Mirror, one insider said: “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.”
Jodie Whittaker is said to be keen on taking up other roles after filming on the current run of the BBC sci-fi show finishes this summer.
The series is expected to air in the autumn.
A source said she will follow co-stars Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole out of the door later this year, but showrunner Chris Chibnall is to remain.
Filming on the current run of the BBC sci-fi show is due to finish this summer and it will air in the autumn.
Bosses have already announced the series has been cut to eight episodes because of Covid restrictions slowing down the production.
Other Doctors to leave after three runs include William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.
David Tennant did the same, but extended his tenure with special shows. Whittaker, the first female ever cast as the Doctor, will find quitting an emotional moment.
She once said: “If I even think about leaving, it makes me cry. When it happens, I can pre-empt it will be my most devastating moment.
“I absolutely adore it. At some point, these shoes are going to be handed on, but it’s not yet. I’m clinging on tight.”
Mum-of-one Whittaker was announced as the 13th Doctor in July 2017.
She made her debut in the closing scenes of the Christmas special when she regenerated from Capaldi, who was shot by Cybermen.
Whittaker will have spent nearly five years in the role once her final series airs at the end of this year, having kept her casting secret for many weeks.
