Former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker is back on our screens as a mother fighting for answers about her son’s disability and other mothers’ concerns. Toxic Town, now available on , follows a community challenge their town’s council over alleged toxic waste mismanagement in the late 1980s and 1990s where toxic waste is proven to have affected their children.
Jodie Whittaker leads the cast as Susan McIntyre, who has a son, Connor, born with a deformed hand. It’s the latest role for the former Doctor Who star who has a successful career spanning British TV.
Born and raised in Skelmanthorpe near Huddersfield, Jodie was a pivotal character in the critically acclaimed Broadchurch, which she starred in alongside former Doctor David Tennant. For that role, she was nominated for Crime Thriller Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as RTS Television Award for Best Actress.
Jodie Whittaker’s time in Doctor Who has seen her nominated for a whole host of awards: Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Series, Drama/Genre, National Television Award for Drama Performance, Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actress and TV Quick Award for Best Actress. But what do we know about her life outside of TV including her famous husband?
Concerns she would ‘f*** up’ Doctor Who for other actors
Doctor Who – The Power of the Doctor,23-10-2022,The Power Of The Doctor,The Doctor (JODIE WHITTAKER),*NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL 21:00HRS, SUNDAY 16TH OCTOBER, 2022*,BBC STUDIOS 2022,James Pardon (Image: James Pardon/BBC Studios)
Jodie Whittaker made waves when she took on the role of the beloved timelord, the Doctor in their 13th reincarnation. She held the role for five years and broke barriers as the first female to take on the titular role, starting in 2017.
However, Jodie admitted she was initially worried she had “f*** it for other actors”. “Everyone’s Doctor until then was a white man,” she said.
“They are very different actors, but they all fit a specific mould – and I didn’t”. She added: “If Peter [Capaldi] hadn’t been good as the Doctor, it would only have reflected on him. Whereas I felt that if I wasn’t very good at this, I’ve f***ed it for other actors.
“I think it’s completely unacceptable if that was the case, but that’s how I felt.”
She passed on the Tardis keys to Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, who began his tenure as the Doctor in 2023.
Who is Jodie Whittaker married to?
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Jodie Whittaker is currently married to renowned American actor and writer Christian Contreras after they tied the knot in Arizona in December 2008. Christian Contreras is best known for Halo: Nightfall, Zero Dark Thirty and American Odyssey.
He will appear as Jerry Knox in the Disney Plus series A Thousand Blows, which stars Stephen Graham. The couple met at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and they graduated in 2005.
They share two children in their London abode—a daughter welcomed into the world in April 2015 and another bundle of joy arriving in 2022. Regarding her private life, she disclosed: “He’s from Tucson and I’m from Huddersfield. But I don’t divulge stuff about him, because I don’t think he’d appreciate it when he’s not here to speak for himself.
“We do get comments like, ‘Where the hell did you two meet?’ We’re like an international couple.”
Family tragedy
Harry Whittaker, who played Leo in Emmerdale, has died aged three. (Image: undefined)
Jodie’s nephew Harry Whittaker, who played Leo Dingle in , passed away in July 2014.
Diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, young Harry left the world far too soon at the tender age of three.
At the end of an episode of the soap, there was a simple but moving tribute “To Harry, with love”, alongside an image of the child adorned in a Spiderman costume.
Mark Charnock, who played Marlon in the soap, shared a touching tribute on social media: “Our hero. We were lucky to know you and hear your laugh. You lit up our lives, dearest, loveliest Harry.”
Jodie, also a champion for Mencap, once declared in 2013: “As proud aunty to Harry it has been fantastic to be able to help raise awareness for people with learning disabilities.
“All we want is for Harry to grow up in a safe and unprejudiced society where people with Down’s syndrome or any learning disability are given the support and care they need.”