Listen to the RadioTimes.com Doctor Who podcast: Why the Fugitive Doctor needs to return

Jo Martin’s surprise new Doctor appeared a year ago – but will she be back for Jodie Whittaker’s rumoured final episodes?

Jodie Whittaker and Jo Martin in Doctor Who on BBC One

BBC

Published: Wednesday, 27 January 2021 at 3:48 pm

Just over a year ago, on Sunday 26th January 2020, Doctor Who dropped one of its biggest twists in years as mild-mannered tour guide Ruth Clayton (Jo Martin) was revealed to be an earlier forgotten incarnation of the Doctor, on the run from Time Lord spies.

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The unmasking caused a sensation online and instantly made Martin a fan-favourite among viewers – but it’s currently unclear whether her version of the Doctor will be making a comeback in the currently-filming series 13, at least according to showrunner Chris Chibnall.

“I don't know, is the honest answer,” Chibnall told RadioTimes.com in November 2020. “It hasn't happened yet.

“But the way she's been accepted and the way she's handled it is just beyond our wildest dreams. She's such an exceptional person and actress. Just wonderful, from the moment she came in, the first readthrough... I can't say enough brilliant things about Jo.”

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But is Chibnall telling us the whole truth? If rumours of Jodie Whittaker’s exit are to believed, would he really dodge having these two Doctors meet again? And how could the Timeless Child story continue without her anyway?

In this week’s RadioTimes.com Doctor Who podcast (above) we try our best to answer all these questions and more, and debate the likelihood of Jo Martin making a grand return in season three.

Plus, we take a look back on our initial reaction to the Fugitive Doctor’s appearance one year ago and go behind-the-scenes to find out the writing process behind the character’s introduction, which was actually added to the script at a surprisingly late stage in the process.

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Want more Doctor Who chat? Check out last week’s podcast discussing the potential return of Torchwood, or our full chat with Chris Chibnall about Jo Martin’s Doctor from last year.

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Doctor Who returns to BBC One later this year. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide.

Authors

Radio Times commissioning editor Huw Fullerton. He sits in front of a shelving unit, looking at the camera and smiling. He wears glasses and has a moustache

Huw FullertonCommissioning editor

Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.

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