Timeless star Abigail Spencer urges BBC to cast first female Doctor on Doctor Who

The US star, who plays a time-travelling professor on the E4 drama series, said she supported the idea of a woman playing the next Doctor – in what would be a first for the BBC show.

Tilda Swinton, Olivia Colman and Maxine Peake are among the names who have been linked to the role after Peter announced the next series of Doctor Who would be his last.

Abigail told the Press Association: “I worked with David Tennant who is the original and greatest time traveller.

“He and I did a pilot together years ago.

“Has there been a female Doctor? I support that (idea).

“I don’t know who but I support that.”

Former Doctor Who star David Tennant (Ian West/PA)

Abigail stars in Timeless as history professor Lucy Preston who attempts to stop criminal Garcia Flynn (played by Goran Visnjic) from changing the course of American history through time travel.

The former Mad Men star previously appeared in legal drama Suits alongside Meghan Markle, the girlfriend of Prince Harry.

In September, Meghan called for Abigail to reprise her role of Dana Scott on Suits when she posted an Instagram photo of the pair with the caption “Bring Back Scottie”.

Asked how Meghan was coping with the attention on her romance with Harry, Abigail replied: “I don’t comment on my friends’ personal lives. I will leave it to her.”

Meghan Markle (Ian West/PA)

The 35-year-old actress said the cast and crew of Timeless will find out in May whether the show has been renewed for a second series.

“I feel like there has been such an outpouring of support and love and attention from overseas,” she said.

“I am hopeful. It’s so hard to be confident in this industry in anything.

“Ultimately it’s not up to me. It’s with the powers at NBC.”

Timeless airs on E4 on Wednesday at 9pm.