'Doctor Who' will head in a direction it's never been in before in its next series, as the first ever female to tackle the lead role of The Doctor will arrive in the form of Jodie Whittaker. The actress officially made her debut in the Christmas special of the episode, but was only seen for a matter of seconds following Peter Capaldi's regeneration scene. "Ah, brilliant!", Whittaker's Doctor exclaimed, before the TARDIS went plummeting through space. Now, we can't wait to see her in action.

Jodie Whittaker will be the first female Doctor in 'Doctor Who'Jodie Whittaker will be the first female Doctor in 'Doctor Who'

Over 55 years, we've only ever seen men - such as Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker, and Jon Pertwee - take on the Doctor role, but now Whittaker will be making history. That's something she hopes will inspire young girls watching, allowing them to believe that anything is possible in the world.

Speaking with the Radio Times, Whittaker said (via The Guardian): "There's the chiselled superhero that we're used to seeing and we've all grown up with. But Doctor Who has never been that, which is wonderful. It's attainable in so many ways.

"And now it isn’t just attainable for half of the population. The other half can be the Doctor as well. Girls will no longer just think, ‘Oh, I could be a companion’. Being the first female Doctor and showing children that their heroes in shows don’t always look the same is a huge honour for me."

She added of the new direction the series can take: "In a way, though, there is liberation in that new direction: the pressure is less for me because I can only do this my way. All the rules are out the window! That's what makes it so fun."

Details surrounding what we should expect from the new batch of episodes haven't yet found their way to the surface. We imagine those working on the show will be keeping their secrets closer to their chest than ever before, because of the increased interest in the show, and the willingness to watch when the series makes its small screen return.

More: Jenna Coleman Discusses "Genius" Casting Of Jodie Whittaker In 'Doctor Who'

We'll bring you more news from the world of 'Doctor Who' as and when we get it.