Peter Capaldi has explained why being the Doctor was "much more fun" than being himself.
The actor played the Twelfth Doctor on BBC's Doctor Who from 2014 until 2017, when he was succeeded by Jodie Whittaker.
Reflecting on his time on the show during a new interview with Radio Times, Capaldi shared: "It was just an incredible experience. Suddenly, you're in the middle of this fantastical world, surrounded by people who love Doctor Who."
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He continued: "I was watching Tom Baker talking about something, and he said that when he was Doctor Who, he would do tons and tons of publicity and stuff, because being Doctor Who was much more fun than being Tom Baker, and I would say the same, probably – being Doctor Who is much more fun than being me.
"Certainly, you're in a very privileged position, because you receive the affection for that character. It is a character, it's not me, and it's a delightful place to be.
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"It would be a hard part to sustain, I think, forever, but you do see the best of people, which is lovely."
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However, despite his fond memories, Capaldi has ruled out the possibility of ever reprising the role.
"No," he told Forbes earlier this year when asked of the prospect. "I'm a long-standing Doctor Who fan from being a kid. [My Criminal Record character Daniel] Hegarty is the same age as me, so maybe he watched Doctor Who, too.
"He’s of that era. I like the idea that my Doctor is still out there. He's not available to come and be on television. The real Doctor is not on TV. The real Doctor is out there."
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
