Doctor Who’s Jo Martin insists she’s NOT the next Doctor in major U-turn after fan backlash

ACTRESS Jo Martin has insisted she is NOT going to be the next Doctor Who.

Jo made her debut in the last series of the long-running BBC show as an alternative version of the famous lead character, which has been played by Jodie Whitaker for the past two seasons after she became the first woman to take the role.

Whittaker was stunned as the new character, initially disguised as Gloucester tour guide Ruth Clayton, claimed she was one of her past iterations.

Despite the storyline being one of the biggest shocks in the programme’s recent history, some fans were not happy and raged at the “unbearable political correctness” of another female Doctor.

And they were further angered when show boss Chris Chibnall hinted Martin might well be a replacement for 37-year-old Whittaker, by saying she was “definitively” the Doctor.

But for any Doctor Who fans who’ve been wondering whether Martin – best known for her roles on Holby City and Top Boy – will take over from Whittaker as the Fourteenth Doctor, it’s emerged that’s not going to be the case. 

The star indirectly confirmed the news during an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, where she spoke about how she had to explain to friends that she was “a Doctor”, not “the new Doctor.”

She said: “The thing is, not everyone saw the episode when it went out, but suddenly they saw all the publicity that blew up around it and read it in the papers or saw it on social media.

“It meant they didn’t get to see the reveal first-hand, which, for me, was the best part. They were like, ‘You’re the new Doctor!’ 

“And I’m like, ‘Well… I’m not the new Doctor. I’m a Doctor. You’ll have to watch the episode.’”

Martin’s revelation has upset some fans. One wrote on Twitter: “Jo Martin in her 5 minutes as The Doctor was more believable as the doctor than Jodie in 2 seasons. Jodie didn’t bother researching her role Whittaker.” 

Some are still praying that she might come back to replace Whittaker at a later date. 

One fan wrote: “It shows what an utterly amazing actor Jo Martin is that in maybe 5 lines SHE WAS THE DOCTOR. She bloody better be [Doctor Number] 14 please.”

Another added: “Still blown away by her performance.”

In other Doctor Who news, Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole are reportedly set to leave the show after the Dalek-based Christmas special.

Meanwhile, filming for season 13 will begin this autumn, for a 2021 release.

All episodes of season 12 can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.