Thirteenth time the charm: Doctor Who gets its first female time lord

BBC has made history with the selection of actress Jodie Whittaker as the new time lord for its cult-series Doctor Who.

Jodie Whittaker, star of British crime drama Broadchurch, succeeds Peter Capaldi, who became a Doctor in 2013.

The identity of the new Doctor was revealed in a trailer broadcast at the end of the Wimbledon men's singles final.

"It feels completely overwhelming; as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you're told you can and can't be," said Whittaker while speaking to BBC. "It feels incredible."

"I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that's exciting about change," Whittaker added. "The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one."

Throughout the show, strong female characters have made their mark–Michelle Gomez's The Master and Alex Kingston's River Song to companions like Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rose (Billie Piper) – yet no woman has ever portrayed the role of the Doctor.