Nude pics of Doctor Who actor draws ire against British publications

The pictures drew backlash from Equal Representation for Actresses and social media users

Two major UK publications have drawn backlash after they published nude imagery of actor Jodie Whittaker, shortly after she was named as the first female lead on British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

The UK’s Sun greeted the news of the first female doctor with a video from a nude scene from the 2007 film Venus, in which Whittaker played a character who modelled for an art class.

The Daily Mail published stills from a nude scene in TV series The Smoke, in which Whittaker played a firefighter’s girlfriend. It also published nude and topless photos of ex-Doctor Who stars Matt Smith, David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston.

Article on Jodie Whittaker published in The Sun. PHOTO: Twitter

The pictures drew backlash from Equal Representation for Actresses (ERA), a group that challenges the “British broadcast, film and theatre industry’s unconscious bias against women.”



“We are delighted by the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor,” ERA said in a statement provided to The Guardian.


On its Facebook page, ERA noted that David Tennant had played Casanova and that Peter Capaldi, another ex-Doctor Who star, had unleashed a “string of profanities” in the show The Thick of It.

“Did The Sun report their ‘less family friendly roles’? Or publish photos of them without clothes?” the group asked.

But ERA wasn’t alone in criticising the publications.

They also drew a round of derision on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jowrotethis/status/887066044459753472

Discuss female roles in TV? Questions about the plotlines? No, the Daily Mail & Sun confirm what rags they are.https://t.co/q4dGiTdgDJ

— Ian Cummings (@iancummings) July 17, 2017

another day, another wave of embarrassment over the fact I hail from the same country as British tabloids https://t.co/TFoONYCuPp

— Jenny Hollander (@_JennyHollander) July 17, 2017

https://twitter.com/Wolfe321/status/887118062851436544

The announcement of Whittaker as the new star of  Doctor Who was embraced by many who welcomed the casting of a woman in its lead role.

My daughter watching the #DoctorWho announcement. #doctor13 #DoctorWho13 pic.twitter.com/eX0w1rW4E9

— Jenny Trout (@Jenny_Trout) July 16, 2017

https://twitter.com/JohnBarrowman/status/886704709939187712

But the decision to cast her also had its detractors.

https://twitter.com/GhisPerrier/status/886609854307192834

https://twitter.com/TheMasterBucks/status/886614910062297088

 

This article originally appeared on Global News.