He's probably best known to the world right now as Q from James Bond. But Ben Whishaw has a varied stage and screen career, though I first noticed him in the sitcom Nathan Barley, though it was probably his performance in The Hour that left a lasting impression. He also voiced Paddington Bear in the recent movie, performing against Capaldi.

And Wishaw is currently the bookies favourite to take over from Peter Capaldi on Doctor Who, with William Hill giving him 6/1 odds.

If the BBC picked him, this would make for a younger Doctor again – but closer to Tennant than Smith. He would also be the first openly gay actor cast as The Doctor, Whishaw married to his husband, Australian composer Mark Bradshaw, in 2012.

Also in the running, according to William Hill at 8/1 are Richard Ayoade, Rory Kinnear and Rupert Grint at 8/1 – could he be ginger at last?

Ben Daniels and friend-of-Bleeding Cool Jason Flemyng are at 10/1, while Reece Shearsmith and Russell Tovey are at 12/1.

At 16/1 comes Alexander Vlahos, Andrew Scott, Chris Addison, David Harewood and the return of Matt Smith

20/1 has previous Doctor Who stars Billie Piper, David Morrissey, David Tennant as well as Idris Elba, Olivia Colman, Steve Pemberton and Tom Hiddleston.

While Rhys Ifans is a 25/1

And Alan Davies, Christopher Eccleston, Eddie Redmayne, Martin Freeman, Paterson Joseph, Philip Glenister and Stephen Fry are all at 33/1.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Craig are at 50/1

And rounding off the odds is James Corden at 66/1. Smithy!