We caught up with series stars Jodie Whittaker, John Bishop and Mandip Gill to time travel through their own Christmas pasts, presents and futures, taking in weird family traditions, unusually emotional festive periods and what they\u2019d need to make the perfect December 25th.<\/p>\n
Plus, we took a look ahead at next Christmas, when Whittaker\u2019s Time Lord will be handing her sonic screwdriver on to a new actor\u2026<\/p>
Jodie Whittaker<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""Doctor\"]( "\\"\"Jodie\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nWhat were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\nThey were always small, but full of magic. It would just be me, my mum and dad, my brother and my grandma. Compared to other people who have massive extended families, it was always just us guys. But man, was it exciting! We were lucky enough every year to get a visit from Santa and there was always plenty of food and love and TV, and I just really remember it all so fondly.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m nearly 40, there\u2019s loads! I spent Christmas Day in Rarotonga [one of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific] when I was 18 years old, having a barbecue on a beach with a load of backpackers I didn\u2019t really know and it was amazing! That definitely is a cool way to spend Christmas.<\/p>\n
What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\nTo me, Christmas is ET. Just watching ET and snuggling on the couch, and it being the laziest and best of days.<\/p>\n
What would make future Christmasses even better? <\/strong><\/p>\nA chef and a sommelier. I want someone who wine-pairs the entire day. There you go. There\u2019s my priorities.<\/p>\n
Next Christmas, you\u2019ll no longer be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about? <\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s gone quickly, but it\u2019s been so rich and full of wonderful experiences. One thing I\u2019ll be eternally grateful for is that we have always been aware of how ace it is. And so the reason I don\u2019t have a sense of \u201cOh man, I wish\u2026\u201d is because I didn\u2019t ever think that the best was yet to come. I\u2019ve been in the moment always because I love it so much.<\/p>\n
John Bishop <\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""Doctor\"]( "\\"\"John\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nWhat were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\nWe never went anywhere and Christmas was always at home, but I never felt I missed out on anything. Christmas was always exciting.<\/p>\n
Any traditions you\u2019ve kept up as an adult? <\/strong><\/p>\nA pillowcase instead of a stocking. When me mum and dad started getting a pillowcase out you\u2019d think, \u201cOK, this is going to be a good present.\u201d Also, buying pets presents, which is the most ridiculous thing in the world. We used to always buy our dog Lassie a present. Lassie had no idea it was Christmas Day \u2013 and in all the years we had her, she never bought us one back!<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\nA couple of years ago the whole extended family came down to our house. We lost my father-in-law shortly after, and I was so glad we\u2019d had that time together.<\/p>\n
If you asked about me worst Christmas, I can tell you \u2013 it was last year. Unbelievably, we had two weeks off filming, and I got COVID on Christmas Eve. You couldn\u2019t have timed it better.<\/p>\n
What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\nNot be sick in bed! That\u2019s number one. Last year we told our boys not to come home because we didn\u2019t want them to get ill. So, if I was to want anything it would be that simple, that they could come home.<\/p>\n
What would make future Christmasses even better? <\/strong><\/p>\nA professional shopper. Not to go and buy the presents, but to get the presents decided upon and committed to. You ask people, \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d And they say, \u201cOh, I\u2019m not bothered.\u201d Just say something!<\/p>\n
Next Christmas, Jodie won\u2019t be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\nYeah, I think it\u2019ll be particularly strange. For those people who\u2019ve been in the show longer than me, like Jodie and Mandip, they\u2019re brilliant and they\u2019ll go on to other work.<\/p>\n
But from my point of view in a year\u2019s time, when that final episode is aired I\u2019ll look back on this as being one of the best things I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n
Mandip Gill <\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""Doctor\"]( "\\"\"Mandip\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nWhat were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\nVery busy. Sometimes there were 30 or 40 people, but my mum loves doing it. If anyone tries to take Christmas off her\u2026 game over!<\/p>\n
Any traditions you\u2019ve kept up as an adult? <\/strong><\/p>\nWe always open our presents on Christmas Eve. People find it weird, but that way we can just get on with Christmas Day and make food because there\u2019s loads of people coming round.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\nA really special Christmas with one of my cousins who\u2019s no longer here \u2013 it was our last Christmas together. We have a picture of everyone in the family, more or less, wearing Christmas jumpers. We didn\u2019t know it, but it was the last time we\u2019d all be together, and you can see the joy on everyone\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n
What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\nLast year was a weird one, because it was the first time I\u2019d ever spent Christmas away from my parents because of COVID. Hopefully I\u2019ll go back and have Christmas with all my family. I\u2019m gonna do loads of presents and organise pass the parcel. It\u2019s already got people excited.<\/p>\n
What would make future Christmasses better? <\/strong><\/p>\nWhen we have Christmas now as adults, one or more of my siblings are always off at their in-laws. And I think it would be amazing if we all did it together and everyone was somehow able to teleport and leave their in-laws for a bit.<\/p>\n
Next Christmas, Jodie won\u2019t be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\nYou don\u2019t think about it, because you\u2019re just doing it. Filming\u2019s a long process, and you\u2019re in the moment and you enjoy it, and you think \u2018Well, that\u2019s next year.\u2019<\/p>\n
Now it has sunk in a little bit, because of the announcement that somebody else will taking over from us. Tears will be shed! But not by me, because I\u2019m cold-hearted.<\/p>\n
A condensed version of these interviews was published in the 27th November-3rd December issue of Radio Times<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\nDoctor Who: Eve of the Daleks airs on BBC One on New Year\u2019s Day 2022. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi<\/a> page or our full TV Guide.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Huw Fullerton Published: Friday, 24 December 2021 at 12:00 am There may be no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, but that doesn\u2019t mean the TARDIS team are feeling any less festive in 2021. We caught up with series stars Jodie Whittaker, John Bishop and Mandip Gill to time travel through their own Christmas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":9174,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future.jpg",1888,1256,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-768x511.jpg",768,511,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-1024x681.jpg",800,532,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-1536x1022.jpg",1536,1022,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future.jpg",1888,1256,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Huw Fullerton Published: Friday, 24 December 2021 at 12:00 am There may be no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, but that doesn\u2019t mean the TARDIS team are feeling any less festive in 2021. We caught up with series stars Jodie Whittaker, John Bishop and Mandip Gill to time travel through their own Christmas…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/9173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\""Doctor\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/11\/Jodie-Whittaker-DW-series-13-bba526c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Jodie\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nWhat were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\n They were always small, but full of magic. It would just be me, my mum and dad, my brother and my grandma. Compared to other people who have massive extended families, it was always just us guys. But man, was it exciting! We were lucky enough every year to get a visit from Santa and there was always plenty of food and love and TV, and I just really remember it all so fondly.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m nearly 40, there\u2019s loads! I spent Christmas Day in Rarotonga [one of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific] when I was 18 years old, having a barbecue on a beach with a load of backpackers I didn\u2019t really know and it was amazing! That definitely is a cool way to spend Christmas.<\/p>\n What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\n To me, Christmas is ET. Just watching ET and snuggling on the couch, and it being the laziest and best of days.<\/p>\n What would make future Christmasses even better? <\/strong><\/p>\n A chef and a sommelier. I want someone who wine-pairs the entire day. There you go. There\u2019s my priorities.<\/p>\n Next Christmas, you\u2019ll no longer be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about? <\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s gone quickly, but it\u2019s been so rich and full of wonderful experiences. One thing I\u2019ll be eternally grateful for is that we have always been aware of how ace it is. And so the reason I don\u2019t have a sense of \u201cOh man, I wish\u2026\u201d is because I didn\u2019t ever think that the best was yet to come. I\u2019ve been in the moment always because I love it so much.<\/p>\n What were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\n We never went anywhere and Christmas was always at home, but I never felt I missed out on anything. Christmas was always exciting.<\/p>\n Any traditions you\u2019ve kept up as an adult? <\/strong><\/p>\n A pillowcase instead of a stocking. When me mum and dad started getting a pillowcase out you\u2019d think, \u201cOK, this is going to be a good present.\u201d Also, buying pets presents, which is the most ridiculous thing in the world. We used to always buy our dog Lassie a present. Lassie had no idea it was Christmas Day \u2013 and in all the years we had her, she never bought us one back!<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\n A couple of years ago the whole extended family came down to our house. We lost my father-in-law shortly after, and I was so glad we\u2019d had that time together.<\/p>\n If you asked about me worst Christmas, I can tell you \u2013 it was last year. Unbelievably, we had two weeks off filming, and I got COVID on Christmas Eve. You couldn\u2019t have timed it better.<\/p>\n What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\n Not be sick in bed! That\u2019s number one. Last year we told our boys not to come home because we didn\u2019t want them to get ill. So, if I was to want anything it would be that simple, that they could come home.<\/p>\n What would make future Christmasses even better? <\/strong><\/p>\n A professional shopper. Not to go and buy the presents, but to get the presents decided upon and committed to. You ask people, \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d And they say, \u201cOh, I\u2019m not bothered.\u201d Just say something!<\/p>\n Next Christmas, Jodie won\u2019t be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I think it\u2019ll be particularly strange. For those people who\u2019ve been in the show longer than me, like Jodie and Mandip, they\u2019re brilliant and they\u2019ll go on to other work.<\/p>\n But from my point of view in a year\u2019s time, when that final episode is aired I\u2019ll look back on this as being one of the best things I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n What were your childhood Christmasses like? <\/strong><\/p>\n Very busy. Sometimes there were 30 or 40 people, but my mum loves doing it. If anyone tries to take Christmas off her\u2026 game over!<\/p>\n Any traditions you\u2019ve kept up as an adult? <\/strong><\/p>\n We always open our presents on Christmas Eve. People find it weird, but that way we can just get on with Christmas Day and make food because there\u2019s loads of people coming round.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the best Christmas you\u2019ve ever had? <\/strong><\/p>\n A really special Christmas with one of my cousins who\u2019s no longer here \u2013 it was our last Christmas together. We have a picture of everyone in the family, more or less, wearing Christmas jumpers. We didn\u2019t know it, but it was the last time we\u2019d all be together, and you can see the joy on everyone\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n What do you want to do this Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\n Last year was a weird one, because it was the first time I\u2019d ever spent Christmas away from my parents because of COVID. Hopefully I\u2019ll go back and have Christmas with all my family. I\u2019m gonna do loads of presents and organise pass the parcel. It\u2019s already got people excited.<\/p>\n What would make future Christmasses better? <\/strong><\/p>\n When we have Christmas now as adults, one or more of my siblings are always off at their in-laws. And I think it would be amazing if we all did it together and everyone was somehow able to teleport and leave their in-laws for a bit.<\/p>\n Next Christmas, Jodie won\u2019t be the Doctor \u2013 is that strange to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t think about it, because you\u2019re just doing it. Filming\u2019s a long process, and you\u2019re in the moment and you enjoy it, and you think \u2018Well, that\u2019s next year.\u2019<\/p>\n Now it has sunk in a little bit, because of the announcement that somebody else will taking over from us. Tears will be shed! But not by me, because I\u2019m cold-hearted.<\/p>\n A condensed version of these interviews was published in the 27th November-3rd December issue of Radio Times<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks airs on BBC One on New Year\u2019s Day 2022. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi<\/a> page or our full TV Guide.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n By Huw Fullerton Published: Friday, 24 December 2021 at 12:00 am There may be no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, but that doesn\u2019t mean the TARDIS team are feeling any less festive in 2021. We caught up with series stars Jodie Whittaker, John Bishop and Mandip Gill to time travel through their own Christmas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":9174,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future.jpg",1888,1256,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-768x511.jpg",768,511,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-1024x681.jpg",800,532,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future-1536x1022.jpg",1536,1022,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/12\/doctor-who-stars-on-christmas-past-present-and-future.jpg",1888,1256,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Huw Fullerton Published: Friday, 24 December 2021 at 12:00 am There may be no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, but that doesn\u2019t mean the TARDIS team are feeling any less festive in 2021. We caught up with series stars Jodie Whittaker, John Bishop and Mandip Gill to time travel through their own Christmas…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/9173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}John Bishop <\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Doctor\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/12\/John-Bishop-Doctor-Who-1-c06877e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"John\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nMandip Gill <\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Doctor\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/12\/Mandip-Gill-Doctor-Who-21f6d87.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Mandip\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"