Mandip Gill confirms Doctor Who exit but says “not forever”

Screen OD staff

Mandip Gill, who plays Yasmin Khan in Doctor Who, has confirmed that the upcoming Doctor Who feature-length special to celebrate the centenary of the BBC will see her leaving the TARDIS at the same time as the Thirteenth Doctor actor Jodie Whittaker, but suggested she may at some point return to the show.

Appearing on the BBC’s magazine programme The One Show on Tuesday evening alongside former Harry Potter actor Tom Felton, Gill was quizzed about her time on Doctor Who by hosts Lauren Laverne and Jermaine Jenas.

“It will be Jodie Whittaker’s final episode, will it be yours?” asked Laverne.

“It will be mine,” answered Gill, followed by a gasp from Lauren Laverne.

Mandip was quick to follow up, saying: “Well, not forever – because who knows in the world of Doctor Who. But yeah, it definitely comes to an ending in that episode, but, not forever… because who knows!”

Asked who will be the next Doctor after Jodie Whittaker, and whether she will be in the 60th anniversary special in 2023, Gill said she had no idea.

“They don’t tell me anything!” Gill laughed.

The mood became even more jovial when Jermaine Jenas then asked Tom Felton if he fancied a go at the role.

“I can only say limited amounts about my involvement!” joked Felton. But when pressed, admitted “I don’t know. I know nothing!”

The final episode of the Chris Chibnall era is expected to air in the autumn of 2022 around the centenary celebrations of the BBC, and will be the last episode for the current incarnation of the Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker. Some details are now known about the episode, including the return of former companions and monsters, but details currently remain scarce.

Chibnall will be replaced after the episode by Russell T Davies returning to helm the show almost two decades after he rebooted Doctor Who with Christopher Eccleston in 2005.

In recent months there has been intense speculation about who might replace Whittaker in the starring role in the series, with some suggesting that Davies could bring back David Tennant to the TARDIS. Indeed, there has even been speculation that James Corden might return to the UK and become the Doctor! However, many other names continue to circulate including Lydia West, Omari Douglas, Michael Sheen, Olly Alexander and Hugh Grant to name but a few.