SCOTTISH actress Kelly Macdonald has been tipped to become the next Doctor Who following the news that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving the programme after four years.

Macdonald, 45, found fame playing Dianne in Danny Boyle’s 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting. Since then she has had a prolific career across TV and film, most recently taking on a key role as DCI Joanne Davidson in series six of Line of Duty.

There are a number of people rumoured to take over from Whittaker (below) and become the 14th Doctor – including It’s A Sin actor Olly Alexander, I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel, Fleabag writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge as well as Welsh Good Omens star Michael Sheen.

The Herald:

Macdonald’s odds have been slashed by bookies, with the actress currently sitting at 20-1 with Ladbrokes according to the Daily Record.

The bookies’ Alex Apati said: "The race to replace Jodie Whittaker is well and truly on now, although Kelly Macdonald has proven a popular pick with punters at 20/1".

Whittaker made history as the first woman to play the titular Time Lord when she replaced Peter Capaldi in 2017.

The Herald:

The BBC announced last week that she will be leaving the show through a series of specials which will culminate in an “epic blockbuster to air in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations”. Whittaker described her time at Doctor Who as “the best job I have ever had”.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall, who replaced Steven Moffat, is also leaving the show.

The seventh, 10th and 12th Doctors were all played by Scots - Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant and Capaldi.

Tennant was last year declared the public's favourite Doctor in a poll of more than 50,000 people for RadioTimes.com.