Doctor Who New Year’s Day special: Jodie Whittaker to face the Dalek’s revolt with the help of old friends

‘Revolution of the Daleks’ will air on 1 January

The BBC is airing its highly anticipated Doctor Who special on New Year’s Day (1 January 2021). 

The forthcoming episode – titled “Revolution of the Daleks” – promises an action-packed start to the new series. 

A one-minute trailer recently introduced a slew of guest stars who will appear in the special. Both John Barrowman and Chris Noth will reprise their roles as Captain Jack Harkness and Jack Robertson respectively.

Warning: spoilers below

Dame Harriet Walker, who recently appeared as assassin Dasha in season three of Killing Eve, and Misfits’s Nathan Stewart-Jarrett are also set to appear in the highly anticipated new year's instalment.

The episode will pick up where season 12 concluded,  with the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) locked away in a high-security alien prison, leaving Ryan, Graham and Yaz (Tosin Cole, Bradley Walsh and Mandip Gill) to face the Daleks alone.

It has also been revealed by actors Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole that their appearances in the New Year’s Day episode will be their last on the show.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Whittaker said she was “absolutely devastated” about the news.

“Without going into any specifics about anything to do with character, or what happens, just purely knowing it was my last scenes with those actors... both of them had to carry me to my trailer, I haven't cried like that for such a long time.

“Brad couldn't cope with it at all. Tosin was like, 'I really can't cope with you getting so upset.' That sums up how I felt, there wasn't a sense of relief in any way. I said, 'Don't leave me with her!'”

Showrunner Chris Chibnall told Radio Times: “We’ve crammed this year’s Doctor Who Festive special with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent.” 

“Where else would you get British acting royalty, a globally renowned US screen star, an (inter)national treasure of stage and screen and one of Britain’s hottest young actors — just in the guest cast!” he continued.

“Put those together with Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole (and Daleks! Did I mention Daleks!) — and you get a cast to be exterminated for. And things will explode. Promise.”

“Revolution of the Daleks” will air on BBC One on 1 January 2021.