Jodie Whittaker cannot talk about her Doctor Who exit without bursting into tears, but says die-hard fans are in for a "huge treat" when they see her big finale.
The actress, 40, will bow out of her role as the Thirteenth Doctor in centenary special episode The Power of the Doctor in October, and the star was delighted with the "simple, epic, and beautiful" dialogue for her regeneration scenes, when her Time Lord transforms into the Fourteenth Doctor, who will be played by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa.
Jodie's one-take regeneration scene ended up being the final one she ever filmed as the Doctor, and the star "f***ing lost it" emotionally as the cameras stopped rolling.
Speaking about her final moments as the Time Lord, she said: "I cannot talk about it without crying. I've got to get better at this, because this is the next few weeks for me - talking about my regeneration.
"I love the dialogue Chris wrote for my regeneration. It captures my Doctor beautifully. It’s simple, epic and beautiful.
"When I could see the crew was happy with that last shot, that’s when my bottom lip started going. I was like, 'Well, they can’t say they need another take now because I’ve f***ing lost it!' "
The BBC sci-fi show is bringing back Who legends Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred as former companions Tegan and Ace, and Jodie's Time Lord will do battle with deadly villains The Master, Daleks and Cybermen in her finale.
Speaking to Empire magazine(PLS REF) she said: "It’s one for the Whovians. It’s a huge treat if you’re a proper fan. It’s got all the iconic things that you associate with Doctor Who. It’s massive."
Jodie believes the casting of Ncuti, 29, is "inspired", and she has been preparing him for the iconic role by bombarding the star with eight-minute monologue videos on WhatsApp.
She added: "Unfortunately for Ncuti, he gave me his number. So he's getting eight-minute monologues from me on WhatsApp.
"Luckily, enough time had passed between finishing shooting and finding out about the new Doctor for me to just feel pure excitement about it. It's inspired casting. He's gonna smash it."
Last month, the Mirror revealed Jodie will don a mash-up of the iconic costumes worn by many of her Time Lord predecessors as part of her exit, which will also see a comeback for Bradley Walsh as former companion Graham O’Brien.
Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, who is also leaving the show at the same time as the Broadchurch actress, recently described The Power of the Doctor episode as an "epic and emotional send-off for the Thirteenth Doctor".
He said: "Jodie’s final feature-length story contains a plethora of treats and surprises for audiences and fans, not least the return of two of the most beloved companions in the show’s history.
"They’ll be helping the Doctor fight on three fronts, against her deadliest enemies: the Master, Daleks and Cybermen, in one huge story!
"For the BBC’s centenary, we’ll be celebrating the past, present and future of Doctor Who, in a fittingly thrilling, epic and emotional send-off for the Thirteenth Doctor."
Original Doctor Who reboot producer Russell T Davies is returning as showrunner ahead of next year's episodes, which will mark the programme's 60th anniversary.
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