Jodie Whittaker Appointment As The New Doctor Sparks Controversial Comments

BBC series Doctor Who, and Broadchurch star Jodie Whittaker made history over the weekend, as the actress was announced as the brand new Doctor for the show.

Jodie has broken the mould with the news, as she'll be the very first female Doctor the show has ever seen. She'll be the 13th Doctor to take a place in the legendary Tardis, and follows on from the current Doctor Peter Capaldi, who will wrap up his run in the Christmas episode of the show this year.

Jodie is perhaps most well-known for her recent role as Beth Latimer in ITV's Broadchurch, and has appeared in all three seasons of the crime drama. It was even rumoured that her co-star Olivia Coleman may be set to take on the role - but Jodie clearly pipped her to the post.

The actress has also starred other successful hits, including 2011 film Attack The Block with John Boyega, and the St. Trinians remake.

But despite her appointment being exciting news for many, the historic decision has divided opinion with fans. While many have praised the BBC for finally placing a female in the iconic role, many devotees of the programme have seemingly struggled with the casting decision, with some displaying sexist views.

Of course, the role has historically been played by a male, including most recently David Tennant and Matt Smith. And some social media users have been less than excited about the gender change of the beloved Doctor....

Some ardent fans were disappointed that the Doctor hadn't regenerated as a male, with some very clearly expressing their unhappiness, while others also admitted that it took them a while to come around to the idea of a female playing the iconic role.

Some fans even pointed out the irony in people being upset that the role is moving from its 'tradition' of being historically male, saying that a shape-shifting alien is never ‘normal' nor ‘traditional' anyway.

Jodie herself released a statement following the news, urging die-hard fans not to be put off by the fact that she's a woman. She said, "I want to tell the fans not to be put off by my gender. This is a really exciting time and Doctor Who represents everything that's exciting about change."

We can't wait to see how Jodie will make the role her own.