Jodie Whittaker has spoken about filming Dear England, revisiting Doctor Who and growing up on “absolute s*** food” on this week’s Dish from Waitrose podcast.
The actress joined hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett to discuss acting, food and family life, alongside stories from productions including Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Dear England.
Speaking about Dear England, Jodie said she was immediately interested in joining the project after seeing the stage production at the National Theatre.
She said the story offered “a perspective and a way in that you just don’t get” when portraying football on screen.
Jodie also praised Gareth Southgate and the themes explored in the drama, including leadership and mental health support within football. She described his impact on the England team as “extraordinary”.
Discussing Doctor Who, Jodie recalled showing the programme to her eldest child and quickly realising it might have been too frightening.
She said: “I was like, ‘Look, Mummy’s on telly!’ But I fall out of the TARDIS at the end of the episode and I suddenly was like, fail!”
The conversation also covered her experience filming Broadchurch on the Jurassic Coast, where she said the cast became “mates for life”, and her approach to acting on set, including her attachment to yellow tape marking her position during filming.
Away from acting, Jodie described herself as someone who is instantly awake in the mornings and “full chat” from the moment she gets up. She also admitted she struggles to end conversations and often multitasks during long phone calls.
Food memories featured heavily throughout the episode, with Jodie joking that she was raised on “absolute s*** food”, including crisp sandwiches and microwave dinners. She said those experiences had turned her into “such a snob” about food as an adult.
