Doctor Who: The Thick Of It star Peter Capaldi is revealed as the twelfth Time Lord

Will appear on screen in 2014 following eleventh Doctor Matt Smith's departure in this year's Christmas special

BAFTA-winning actor will join existing Doctor's Assistant Jenna Coleman

At 55, he is the oldest actor to play the Time Lord since the First Doctor William Hartnell in 1963

Previously guest-starred in a 2008 episode of Doctor Who



Peter Capaldi has been revealed as the twelfth incarnation of Doctor Who.

The 55-year-old actor, best known for playing Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It, was announced as the new Time Lord in Sunday's live BBC TV special.

The Scot's appointment comes two months after Matt Smith, 30, announced he was quitting following four years as the time-traveller.

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No surprises: Veteran actor Capaldi, who is best known as politico Malcom Tucker from satire The Thick Of It, was the favourite to be unveiled as the new Doctor

Big secret: The BBC are said to have gone to great lengths to keep the identity of the new Time Lord a secret in an operation they nicknamed 'Houdini'

Peter, a lifelong Doctor Who fan who won an Oscar for Live Action Short Film in 1995, admitted he found it difficult to keep his new job a secret from his 16-year-old daughter Cecily .

He said: 'It's so wonderful not to keep this secret any longer.

'For a while I couldn't tell my daughter. She was reading the rumours on the internet and getting upset that they weren't mentioning me. I kept saying "Rise above it, rise above it."'

Debate: Fans of Doctor Who have sparked an ageism row as some have branded the twelfth Doctor Who Peter Capaldi, too old, at age 55

Poll Is Peter Capaldi the right choice for Doctor Who? Yes, he's brilliant No, I wanted someone else Is Peter Capaldi the right choice for Doctor Who? Yes, he's brilliant 29424 votes

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Peter admitted he used to play Doctor Who as a child growing up in Glasgow, and was thrilled he was able to play it as an adult.

He enthused: 'I'm a lifelong Doctor Who fan. I haven't played it since I was nine. As an adult actor I've never worked on it.

'(For the audition) I downloaded some old scripts from the internet and practiced that in front of the mirror.'

Peter admitted he was on holiday when he received a phone call from his agent informing him he was the twelfth Doctor.

Big reveal: The BBC spent half an hour building up to their big announcement- which was a foregone conclusion to most. Departing Doctor Matt Smith gave words of advice to his successor He recalled: 'My agent rang me up and said: "Hello Doctor." I started laughing and haven't stopped laughing since.' During his interview, it was revealed that as a teenager, Peter had written to the Radio Times to congratulate the BBC on their Dr Who special. When he letter was shown on screen, an embarrassed Peter said: 'I've hidden it from my wife for years. It's the full anorak!'

Speaking about the casting of Peter, executive producer and head writer Stephen Moffat said: 'We got the 12th person around and made a home video of him being the Doctor and showed it to the relevant people, and everyone said "Yes, that's the Doctor."' Lifelong fan: A 15-year-old Peter wrote to the Radio Times about Doctor Who Moffat continued: 'It's an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television. Peter Capaldi is in the TARDIS!' As fans of the show will know Peter - who was the bookies' favourite to play the new Doctor - has previously appeared in small roles in an episode of Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood. He played a Roman merchant called Caecilius in a 2008 episode entitled The Fires of Pompeii, and the role of John Frobisher in 2009 episode of Torchwood caled Children of Earth. Sunday's live reveal episode was shown simultaneously on BBC America so UK and US viewers found out Peter's identity at the same time. Familiar face: Capaldi as a Roman merchant alongside the 10th Doctor David Tennant in 2008 End of an era: Peter will join current Doctor's assistant Clara, played by Jenna Coleman

The 35-minute show, entitled Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, was hosted by Zoe Ball.



Matt, who joined the show in 2010, will appear in his last scenes in the Christmas Special, with the Peter appearing in 2014, joining current assistant Jenna Coleman, who plays Clara.

She said in a statement: 'I'm so excited Peter Capaldi is the man taking on the challenge of becoming the Twelfth Doctor.

Can't stand the tension! Zoe Ball announced Peter as the new Doctor in a TV special Congratulations! Show guest Liza Tarbuck gives Peter an affectionate grab

'With Steven's writing and his talent I know we'll be making an amazing show with an incredible incarnation of number 12. I can't wait to start this new adventure!'



Reflecting on his time as The Doctor, Matt said: 'I'll miss playing a character who can bounce from A-Z and be the smartest in the room and the silliest in the room... what a character!

'Of course there's a part of me that doesn't want to go. There are no parts like this.'

Speaking about his successor, Matt remarked: 'I just want to wish my successor all the best and just say good luck and good on you for getting it.

Comedy star: Peter won a BAFTA and British Comedy Award for his portrayal of Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It

'He's a huge fan of the show and a really nice guy. The casting made me really excited. It's a really canny choice. Good luck man. It's gonna be a thrill.'



Among the guests on the live show were the Fifth Doctor Peter Davidson, who reflected on his time on the series in the early '80s.

Capaldi's casting comes as the show plans to mark its 50th anniversary with a special episode.

The anniversary episode on November 23 - exactly 50 years after the first episode was broadcast - will feature Matt and Jenna, as well as stars of previous series David Tennant, Billie Piper and John Hurt.

Look who's back? The Fifth Doctor Peter Davison appeared on the show And the new Doctor is... Peter walked out to rapturous applause by the studio audience In a statement on their new casting, Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One, says: 'Peter Capaldi has all the genius and versatility needed to take on the mantel of the great Time Lord and make the role his own. 'He'll bring his own particular wisdom, charisma and wit to the Twelfth Doctor and take the show into an exciting new era.' Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning added: 'We started thinking Peter Capaldi might be the right person to take on this iconic part a few months ago. But it was only when he did a secret audition at Steven's house under the cover of darkness that we knew we had our man. 'He's an extraordinarily talented actor who can seemingly turn his hand to anything. We can't wait to premiere his unique take on the Doctor on Christmas Day and we are sure he's going to become one of the all-time classic Doctors.' Oscar winner: Peter won an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film for Frank Kafka's It's Wonderful Life in 1995

The first 11 Doctors....



Starting the legacy: The First Doctor William Hartnell (1963-1966)

Second and Third: Patrick Troughton (1966–1969) and Jon Pertwee (1970–1974)



Fourth and Fifth: Peter Davison (1981–1984) and Tom Baker (1974–1981)



Sixth and Seventh: Colin Baker (1984–1986) and Sylvester McCoy (1987–1989, 1996)

Eighth and Ninth: Paul McGann (1996) and Christopher Eccleston (2005)

Tenth and Eleventh: David Tennant (2005-2010) and Matt Smith (2010-2013)

Video courtesy BBC