Doctor Who showrunner warns Jodie Whittaker critics to ‘shut the hell up’

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has urged critics of Jodie Whittaker’s casting as the first-ever female Time Lord to “shut the hell up”.
Broadchurch star Whittaker was announced as departing Doctor Peter Capaldi’s successor earlier this month (Jul17). And while the reaction has generally been positive, some have been critical of the fact that a woman is taking on the role.
However, as he attended a panel for the programme at Comic-Con in San Diego over the weekend, Moffat, who is also departing the show at the end of the year, furiously responded to the naysayers.
“There are so many people wanting to pretend there is a problem. There isn’t,” he said. “I wish every single journalist who is writing the alternative would shut the hell up.”
It’s not just journalists at fault, though. Former Doctor Peter Davison also hit headlines when he revealed he thinks replacing Capaldi with a woman means that Doctor Who fans are losing a “role model” for young boys.
Davison, who starred as the Tardis dweller for three seasons of the show in the 1980s, told Entertainment Tonight of Jodie’s casting: “If I feel any doubts, it’s the loss of a role model for boys, who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for. So I feel a bit sad about that, but I understand the argument that you need to open it up.”
And despite acknowledging the old-fashioned nature of his views, Davison added that he prefers “the idea of the Doctor as a boy.”
The convention also saw Capaldi making his final Comic-Con appearance as the Doctor, with the actor telling fans he was unprepared for the finality of the event.
“Time ran away from me. I don’t know how we got here so quickly,” Capaldi mused. “To realise the show is so popular and beloved all over the world, it’s remarkable to find yourself in the centre of that.”