Jodie Whittaker has revealed she wants It's A Sin star Lydia West to take over her role as the titular time traveller on Doctor Who. 

The actress, 39, who is set to depart the role in 2022, told Radio 1's Vick Hope and Jordan North: 'If we had the power to choose I'm going to pick an actress who I think is really exciting and I think would be phenomenal, an actress called Lydia West. If I had the power!'  

Lydia, 28, has also starred in Years and Years and Dracula, but earned critical acclaim for her performance on It's A Sin in January.

Lydia is bookmaker Coral's favourite to replace Jodie at 3-1 odds, while Fisayo Akinade and Omari Douglas (both 5-1) are joint second favourites and Olly Alexander comes next in the betting at 6-1. 

Jodie is leaving the coveted role next year because she feels it needs 'new energy' but the star also confessed that she isn't sure if she is making the correct decision.

The Broadchurch star said: 'When I first signed up, I signed up to do three seasons, and I can tell you now there is many a day where I had a wobble and I felt, 'Have I made a terrible mistake?'

'At any point I could have probably changed, but once we started to shoot the final series I think that's when my biggest wobble happened and I thought, 'What the heck am I doing, leaving the best job I've ever done?'' 

She went on about the role: 'But you know what, it's the best job because it's happened at this moment, and no one can ever take these memories away and hopefully I'm still going to be living my best life in a few years to come! 

'I just felt that this show deserves new energy. I don't know if I'm happy with my decision even now, I'm still upset about it!' 

She became the first female Doctor back in the 2017 Christmas special. 

Three special episodes are set to air next year, the first airing on New Year's Day, before fans bid farewell to Jodie, and find out who the next Doctor will be.

Back in July, Jodie announced she would be stepping down from the role in 2022.