BBC bosses 'see It's A Sin star Omari Douglas as first choice to replace Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who'

He wowed audiences as Roscoe Babatunde in It's A Sin at the start of this year. 

And now rising star Omari Douglas is reportedly the front runner to replace Jodie Whittaker in her iconic role as Doctor Who. 

An insider told The Sun: 'Omari is the perfect candidate on so many levels, including the fact that the BBC said they’d prefer the Doctor to be played by a non-white actor.'

Omari got to know Doctor Who's returning showrunner Russell T Davies while they worked alongside one another on his Aids crisis drama It's A Sin last year. 

The source explained: 'He has also struck up the kind of close working relationship with Russell that helped Christopher [Ecclestone] and David [Tennant] get the sought after role. 

'And although he’s not quite a household name yet, he’s proved he's a great actor with a memorable performance in It’s a Sin.' 

MailOnline has contacted BBC representatives for comment. 

It comes after the current Doctor revealed there's a part of her that 'wants to keep going' with the role last week. 

Jodie admitted she questions is she 'sticking to this decision?' Saying: 'There's part of me that could absolutely say, 'No, let's keep going! Let's go back on it!' 

Speaking to Radio Times she opened up about her plan to leave the show alongside the current showrunner Chris Chibnall. 

She continued: 'Chris and I always said we were going to do three series together, but then when you get to it, it's a very different thing.'  

Because her departure from our screen's is not until 2022, Jodie still considers herself the Doctor and said she will 'drag it out.'

'I'm still very much the Doctor. I will be until I'm no longer on screen as the Doctor.

'When it's my last day of shooting, that will certainly feel as if a huge part of my life is over. But as far as being the Doctor, I get to drag it out for as long as they put the episodes on for. 

'This job has been, and continues to be, just extraordinary. And the thing is, I know it doesn’t end at the end anyway. Because you’re always the Doctor. You’re always someone’s Doctor.'

Jodie previously revealed she broke down filming her final scenes as Doctor Who. 

And she admitted she struggled during her last moments on set, saying she burst into tears and is sure she'll 'be filled with a lot of grief' once the final scenes play out 

She said during an online Q&A: 'I lost it, I was absolutely gone, crying my eyes out. I know that this is the best time I will ever have on a job. I've felt like that from the start.'

She continued: 'Letting go of it, I feel I'll be filled with a lot of grief because even thinking about it makes me upset. But this show needs new energy. 

'The joy of this part is that you hand on your boots. I don't know who to, but whoever it is, what a thing to be able to go - 'you're going to have a right time'.

'If everyone comes up to you forever going 'I'm a Doctor Who fan' then that's an absolute joy. Of all the things you're always going to be associated with, thank God it's the thing I've loved so much.' 

Jodie confirmed in July that she was leaving the sci-fi programme after four years.    

The West Yorkshire native described her four-year stint manning the T.A.R.D.I.S as being 'the best job I ever had.'

Jodie was first said to have made the decision to leave in January, with reports at the time discussing a fall in viewership, which has been declining for five years.