Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker: The Time Lord is so much more than a role

Jodie Whittaker has been reflecting on her time starring in Doctor Who, saying that playing the Time Lord was "so much more than a role".

Whittaker is set to bow out as the 13th Doctor on Sunday with the BBC centenary special, The Power of the Doctor.

Read more: Every Doctor's regeneration so far

Speaking to The Big Issue, she admitted it was an emotional moment finally calling time on her tenure as the Doctor.

She said: “It’s so much more than a role. It’s a whole world. And it’s the most exciting world to be in.”

Fans of the BBC One show are always keen to speculate on who the next actor to take on the role will be, and what they will make it - something that Whittaker said she had fully bought into, too.

She said: “I got caught up in the euphoria of it all like everyone else. But that’s the beauty of this job. You get to hand it on. And you get to discover, like a fan, where it is going to go next.”

Read more: Jodie Whittaker says Whovians are in for a treat with final episode

Whittaker said that she had no regrets over her time on the show and that while she was sad to hand the baton on to someone else, she felt that Ncuti Gatwa, the 14th Doctor, was “far more qualified than me”.

The star was joined by Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole, Bradley Walsh and John Bishop as her Doctor's companions during her three series at the helm.

Asked if she had any regrets, she replied: “None. I would have loved it if my last season had been me, Mandip and John, plus Brad and Tosin.

“When those guys left I found it really heartbreaking – it was like breaking up the band.

“But then we got a great new band member. So it’s not a regret, just a petulant child who doesn’t like change.”

The Power of the Doctor will see Sacha Dhawan as The Master, as well as the return of the Daleks and Cybermen, at 7.30pm on Sunday on BBC One.

Watch: Jodie Whittaker felt 'energised' in Doctor Who