July 30, 2021 published at 4:13 AMReuters Jodie Whittaker (above) is the first woman to play the shape-shifting alien Doctor since the series began in the 1960s. Reuters LONDON - Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to take on the lead role in the sci-fi series Doctor Who, will be leaving the television show next year, Britain's BBC said on Thursday (July 29). The British actress has portrayed The Doctor — a shape-shifting alien Time Lord played by men since the show first appeared on British television screens in 1963 — since 2017. The 39-year-old, who described the role as "the best job I have ever had", will feature in a six-part Event Serial this autumn as well as in three specials planned for next year.