Jodie Whittaker has revealed that the cast and crew of Doctor Who are being tested for coronavirus "a lot" as production of the new series continues.
Filming of the new series got underway in November - two months later than planned - and is expected to continue until September, with the number of episodes being cut from 11 down to eight as a result of COVID-19.
Like all TV and film productions, Doctor Who has extensive coronavirus health and safety measures in place on set, although the actors are not thought to be maintaining distance from each other during scenes.
Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, Whittaker said: "The team, the crew have adapted phenomenally. I feel really looked after. And that makes me feel as though I'm able to look after other people without being in a position where I'm putting anyone at risk.
"Everybody's health is being taken very seriously.
"There's a lot of testing. It's a bit of a relief each time actually, going home and knowing you've just had a negative test. It's a really good thing in that sense because obviously throughout lockdown no-one knew if they had it or not.
"There's a real respect on set. Nobody's in any way like 'eurgh, that's annoying', because it's not annoying - it's necessary and it's fine. There's nothing we can do except follow all the government guidelines and be as responsible as we can."
She continued: "The good thing that I've noticed is that things are a bit slower. But that's as it should be. If we were maintaining the same production speed, you'd be wondering 'what corners are getting cut here?'
"Even things like just picking up my sonic [screwdriver] take longer. [It] would normally go through a lot of people before it gets to me, but now it's like the Crown Jewels presented to me in PPE."
Earlier this month it was reported that Whittaker will leave her role as the Doctor at the end of the new series, although the BBC has yet to confirm or deny the reports.
Neil Wilkes
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