Jodie Whittaker had the best time with classic companions at Doctor Who convention
Jodie Whittaker was joined at Gallifrey One 2023 by Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding.
Taking place this past weekend in Los Angeles, the 33rd annual North American Doctor Who celebration, Gallifrey One 33 1/3: Long Live the Revolution, returned with a bang.
As well as a jam-packed roster of programmes, events and incredible costumes, the special convention also saw Jodie Whittaker take to the stage for her first-ever appearance at a dedicated Doctor Who convention.
It's safe to say that the whole affair was very heartwarming, with Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred joining the former Doctor on stage at the end of her panel talk.
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Whittaker was, of course, the first woman to lead the sci-fi series in the title role and played the Thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor from 2017 to 2022, taking the mantle from Peter Capaldi.
Fielding became one of the show's most popular companions in her role as brassy Australian flight attendant Tegan Jovanka in Tom Baker’s final Doctor Who serial, and also alongside Peter Davison for nearly two and a half years of his tenure in the 1980s.
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She reprised the role of Tegan alongside her co-stars in 2006 on audio for Big Finish Productions, but most recently appeared in Whittaker's final Doctor Who story in The Power of the Doctor, which aired in October 2022.
Similarly, Aldred also reprised her role as Ace in the iconic The Power of the Doctor episode, but originally starred alongside Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor in 1987’s Dragonfire and became the final companion of the classic Doctor Who series. She accompanied him throughout his final two seasons as teenager Dorothy 'Ace' McShane, who was mysteriously transported halfway across the universe.
She too has reprised her role alongside McCoy for instalments of Big Finish’s long-running Doctor Who audio series.
Many fans, upon seeing the trio reunited on stage at the Los Angeles convention, took to Twitter to express their excitement. One user described it as a "treat" to see all three actresses on stage together, while another said: "Happiness is seeing Janet Fielding, Jodie Whittaker, and Sophie Aldred all sharing a laugh at Gallifrey One."
Appearing at the convention, many fans were also overjoyed with Whittaker giving out ribbons, being "adorable" and also doing a script-reading session, where she was "jumping around the stage and making her own sound effects and just bursting into laughter", according to another Twitter user.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
