Jodie Whittaker tipped to replace Ralf Little on Death in Paradise after divisive Doctor Who exit
JODIE Whittaker has been tipped to replace Ralf Little on Death in Paradise after her divisive Doctor Who exit.
The 38-year-old star could be heading for the sunshine in another first, swapping the TARDIS for sandy beaches.
Jodie is reportedly set to leave the coveted Time Lord role behind after her third series is filmed this year.
Now with Death in Paradise executive producer Tim Key revealing a woman could be next in line to lead the Saint Marie team in the BBC crime drama, Jodie has emerged a frontrunner.
Bookmakers Ladbrokes are giving Whittaker top odds of taking on the role at 6/1.
Other actresses in the running include Phoebe Waller-Bridge at 7/1, followed by The Thick of It star Joanna Scanlan and Michaela Coel both with odds of 8/1.
Pearl Mackie and Daisy May Cooper also share odds of 10/1, or there's 12/1 on Bad Education's Sarah Solemani heading to Saint Marie.
Jessica O'Reilly of Ladbrokes said: "It's about time a female took on the lead role in Death in Paradise as there's plenty of comedic actresses who would suit being Honore's DI.
"The early betting points towards Jodie Whittaker could be heading to Saint Marie once her days as the Doctor are over."
Ralf, 40, joined the cast of the BBC's Death in Paradise as DI Neville Parker last year and has made no announcement of his departure from the show.
Most read in News TV
But executive producer Tim gave some food for thought when he recently told : "Our intention in having the detective solve the crimes [and] it's to show that that’s sort of the only thing that character can do effectively.
"Because he’s an incredibly broken character, and socially inept. There’s no rule it always has to be a man."
Little follows in the footsteps of Ben Miller, Kris Marshall and Ardal O'Hanlon to take on the role of DI.
Just like how she did with Doctor Who, Jodie would make history as the first female DI on the Caribbean-based show.
The BBC has refused to make any statements about Jodie's tenure on Doctor Who.
"We won't be commenting on any speculation around Jodie's future on the show," a BBC spokesperson told .
reported earlier this month that Jodie is keen to take on new roles, with producers preparing for the next regeneration.
An insider told the publication: "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."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Production is currently underway on Doctor Who series 13, with an expected release in late 2021 or early 2022.
Doctor Who and Death in Paradise are both available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.