Who will be the new Doctor Who?

JODIE Whittaker is leaving Doctor Who in 2022 after her third and final series in the plum role.

Now fans around the world are dying to know who will become the next Time Lord.

Who will be the new Doctor?

Jodie Whittaker has been playing the Doctor since 2017, taking over from legendary Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, who starred in the final three series written and overseen by Steven Moffat.

Now, all bets are on for which actress or actor will next take up the mantle to play one of British television’s most iconic characters.

Here are the latest odds according to OLBG.com, which compares data from a range of online bookmakers.

Olly Alexander 7/2

Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander is a favourite to replace Whittaker as the new Doctor thanks to his breakout role in Russell T. Davies’ It’s A Sin, which won him a lot of praise from critics and viewers alike.

Davies, who was the show-runner to first successfully revive Doctor Who in 2005 after a 16-year series hiatus (not including the 1996 film), admitted Alexander would be a perfect fit for the role.

Given Alexander’s very busy musical career, it seems unlikely that he would have time for the role, but he remained elusive when he was asked about it on Capital Breakfast.

He said: “I mean, if I was do you think I’d be able to tell you? It’s true I am very indiscreet but my lips are sealed.”

Kris Marshal 5/1

Not far behind is Death in Paradise star Kris Marshall, who has established himself as a household name thanks to his memorable turn as DCI Goodman on the BBC One detective show.

Marshall has also starred as Nick Harper in popular British sitcom My Family and starred as Colin Frissell in hit 2003 film Love Actually.

His name cropped up for the role back in 2017 before Capaldi was announced, with many fans expressing their delight at the prospect of the Doctor finally being ginger.

Michaela Cole 7/1

After recently winning two BAFTAs for limited series I May Destroy You, which she created and starred in herself, Michaela Cole is another favourite to step into the Doctor’s shoes.

The Chewing Gum star is no stranger to sci-fi, previously acting in shows like Black Mirror and Aliens, and would undoubtedly bring a fresh, exciting new take on the character.

However, many have speculated that while Coel is at such an incredible point in her career, it seems unlikely she would want to give up her creative freedom to enter into a long contract performing someone else’s script.

Richard Ayoade 10/1

Imagining Richard Ayoade as an eccentric genius isn’t difficult for many of his fans, given that the actor has already won a BAFTA for playing geeky brainiac, Maurice Moss, on classic British sitcom The IT Crowd.

These days Ayoade is known primarily for his presenting work on shows like The Crystal Maze and Travel Man, though he has starred in the occasional film like Paddington 2 and has provided voice overs for impressive properties like The Mandalorian, Soul and The Lego Movie 2.

In a poll by Metro, 38% of fans revealed they would like to see Richard take on the role of the UK’s favourite two-hearted alien.

Michael Sheen 10/1

Celebrated actor Michael Sheen is known for his chameleonic ability to transform into completely different characters.

In 2020, viewers saw him morph into Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’s Chris Tarrant on Quiz, and before that we saw him as ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair in The Queen and football manager Brian Clough in The Damned United.

Fans have also noticed that Sheen has a lot of chemistry with former 10th Doctor David Tennant, who he recently starred alongside in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens and BBC One’s Staged.

What are the odds on the new Doctor?

Here are all the favourites in the running to take their turn in the Tardis:

• Olly Alexander – 7/2
• Kris Marshal – 5/1
• Michaela Cole – 7/1
• Richard Ayoade – 10/1

• Michael Sheen – 10/1
• Anne Maxwell Martin – 10/1
• Tom Rosenthal – 10/1