Jodie Whittaker says being cast as the first female Doctor is a dream come true.
Doctor Who is returning to screens this week, more than 50 years since its debut in 1963.
Whittaker told Mike Yardley it's an iconic role she never expected a woman would be cast in.
"I think I am actually quoted as saying, in an interview back in the day, that as a woman I would never be able to play the Doctor or James Bond ... I am now eating my words."
"I always wanted to be an actor, I always wanted to play exciting roles, but I didn't appreciate, I suppose as a child, that this would be an opportunity that would be open to me, and thank goodness in 2018 it finally is."
She said the show has always been about embracing change.
"Why have such a rich history of such a phenomenal show [just] to wipe the slate clean? It would be terrible and totally pointless."
"It's about honouring what's gone before but also embracing the world we live in now to reflect the perspective and the new world and the different times we potentially visit, it's all about embracing change."Â
Jodie Whittaker said the new season is incredibly visually stunning and 'cinematic'.
She said Doctor Who represents 'inclusivity, hope, passion, a love of learning, and curiosity'.
The first episode of season 11 is out now.
LISTEN ABOVE AS JODIE WHITTAKER SPEAKS WITH MIKE YARDLEYÂ
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