Like it or loathe it, the latest Doctor Who incarnation is a woman and has got a lot of people talking - including previous actors who stepped inside the Tardis at some point during its run.

Peter DavisonPeter Davison has come out in defence of his Doctor Who comments

However, some opinions have caused more of a backlash than others and former Doctor, Peter Davison, has suggested he will now quit Twitter over his own comments about the gender change of the titular character.

Davison - who was the fifth Doctor for three years in the 1980s - had previously said a female Doctor would hurt young boys because of a lack of a role model.

At Comic-Con Davison said Whittaker is a "terrific actress" who will do a "wonderful job" and hopes those who find it hard to adjust watch "with an open mind".

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He added: "If I feel any doubts, it’s the loss of a role model for boys who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for.

"So I feel a bit sad about that, but I understand the argument that you need to open it up.

"As a viewer, I kind of like the idea of the Doctor as a boy but then maybe I’m an old fashioned dinosaur, who knows?"

He has since revealed he was greeted with "toxicity" over the comments and has been widely criticised.

In an attempt to clarify his stance, the 66-year-old actor took to Twitter on Monday morning (24 July).

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In a series of posts he wrote: "For the record I didn’t say I had doubts about Jodie. I said she’s a terrific actress and will do a wonderful job and we need to open it up.

"I also urged uncertain fans to be supportive about change. It was a caveat about role models in an otherwise positive answer.

"All this toxicity about a sci-fi show has been sobering, so I’m calling it a day. @PeterDavison5 used to be fun. Now it’s not. Must Dash."