It's Going to be a Sad Christmas... Matt Smith to Leave the TARDIS at the End of the Year

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The BBC has announced that Matt Smith will be hanging up his bow-tie and leaving Doctor Who during the 2013 Christmas Special, in which the Doctor will regenerate into Smith’s as-yet-unnamed successor. The news comes after months of rumour and speculation surrounding Smith’s tenure in the TARDIS. In a statement about his departure, Smith said:

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show.

"I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven - he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

“The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before.

"Your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number 11, who I might add is not done yet - I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special.

"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

I am sure I am not alone when I say I that Matt Smith’s portrayal of the Doctor will be greatly missed. Following on from David Tennant’s much-loved iteration of the character, Smith rose to the role brilliantly with an equally beloved portrayal of the eponymous Time Lord. Throughout his four years working on the show, Smith has displayed a phenomenal range of emotion and talent, providing consistently superb performances throughout the series. He has been a constant joy to watch, and is the very embodiment of the Doctor.

It will be a sad Christmas to see Smith’s departure, but he’ll be going out on a high note. I hope he'll be given the send off he deserves.

Thank you, Matt, for four fantastic years of time travelling shenanigans; it’s been absolutely brilliant. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours.