It's been a point of contention between fans (especially female fans) and the series' creative forces, and now former Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy has waded into the fray and declared that the character of the Doctor can only be male.

Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor.

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In an interview with The Mirror , McCoy, who played the seventh incarnation of the Doctor, said, “I’m a feminist and recognise there are still glass ceilings in place for many women, but where would we draw the line? A Mr Marple instead of Miss Marple? A Tarzanette?”“I’m sorry, but no – Doctor Who is a male character, just like James Bond. If they changed it to be politically correct then it would ruin the dynamics between the doctor and the assistant, which is a popular part of the show," said McCoy, adding, “I support feminism, but I’m not convinced by the cultural need of a female Doctor Who.”Fans have long lobbied for the Time Lord to regenerate as a woman, but so far Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat has deflected the notion even as he's also implied it remains a possibility down the line. "You cast a person, you don’t cast the gender," Moffat said last year.