Twitter reacts to Jodie Whittaker as female Doctor Who

Actors John Boyega and Riz Ahmed join fightback against sexist criticism

Jodie Whittaker Doctor Who

Broadchurch and Black Mirror star Jodie Whittaker has been unveiled as the new Doctor Who, in a short teaser clip broadcast after the Wimbledon men's finals:

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There had already been much chatter about the possibility of a female Doctor, with Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller Bridge the bookies' favourite before the big reveal.

Regardless, the news that the Time Lord would be taking the form of a woman for the first time in the show's history drew predictable fire from detractors:

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Luckily, Whittaker had more than a few defenders in high places, including Star Wars leading man John Boyega. The British actor tweeted that he was "so proud" of his Attack the Block co-star.

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Actor and MC Riz Ahmed, who featured Whittaker in the music video for his song All Of You, also tweeted his support:

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In fact, the majority of the fandom appeared to embrace the choice of Thirteenth Doctor and called on fellow viewers to throw their support behind Whittaker:

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Others mocked the objections to a female Doctor with their own complaints about Whittaker's unsuitability for the role:

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There were also a few tongue-in-cheek guesses at what obstacles a female Doctor might encounter:

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Many Whovians simply shrugged off the backlash, noting that the programme's fandom has never been one to embrace change:

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Still, one joker observed, all the online vitriol might actually serve a positive purpose:

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