The Sun and Mail Online have been criticised for publishing nude photos of Jodie Whittaker following her casting as the first women to play Doctor Who.
The actor was confirmed to be the 13th Doctor on Sunday (July 16), sparking outrage online that the character would now be female.
Both tabloids reacted to the news by publishing articles about some of Whittaker’s previous film roles, specifically ones in which she appeared naked or topless. Both included stills from the roles in the pieces.
Under the headline “Dalektable”, The Sun used photos from her role in 2006 film Venue. The paper also ran a column that read: “It is frankly nauseating that the [BBC] should now get on their sci-fi high horse and gallop into Right-Onsville to plonk a woman sheriff in town.”
Meanwhile, Mail Online used the headline “Doctor Nude!” and included topless and naked photos of previous male Doctors, including Christopher Eccleston and Matt Smith. Other publications including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Star also published photos of Whittaker.
Campaign group Equal Representation for Actresses have responded to the publication of the photos. “Equal Representation for Actresses (ERA) is a campaign group calling for greater gender parity across our screens and as such we are delighted by the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Dr Who,” they said in a statement to The Independent.
“However we are surprised and disappointed by the Daily Mail and Sun’s reductive and irresponsible decision to run a story featuring pictures of Jodie in various nude scenes.”
People on Twitter have also had their say on the tabloids’ actions. One user described the publication of the images as “sexual harassment”, while another branded it as “pathetic”.
This is infuriating. This is sexual harassment of Jodie Whittaker & a big fuck you to female sci-fi fans everywhere. https://t.co/T6E4CGplTA
— Shelby Knox (@ShelbyKnox) July 18, 2017
Jodie Whittaker earns most iconic role in the history of British TV and press respond with nude photos but there is "no sexism in the west"
— Colleen Litchfield (@BasicLitch) July 18, 2017
To hear that a fucking recognised news paper would publish "nude photos" of Jodie Whittaker from her previous rolls to undermine her (1/2)
— ShockLamation (@ShockLamation) July 18, 2017
Having been casted as the 13th doctor is pathetic if a female doctor is such a problem go fuck off & watch something else (2/2) #DoctorWho13
— ShockLamation (@ShockLamation) July 18, 2017
Daily Mail publishing photos of Jodie Whittaker's nude scenes in previous roles after #doctorwho announcement. Misogynistic piece of shit.
— Caitlin Linskey (@caitlinlinskey) July 16, 2017
4.30pm – Jodie Whittaker announced as the first ever Female Doctor Who
9pm – Daily Mail ALREADY post nude photos of Jodie on their website?— Liam Cook (@TheRealLiamCook) July 16, 2017
In an interview with the BBC after her casting was revealed, Whittaker told fans to “not be scared by my gender”.
“This is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change,” she said. “The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.”