One young Doctor Who fan worried about the impending change of lead actor in the BBC One show got an unexpected Christmas surprise from the Doctor himself.
Capaldi’s final episode as the Doctor, Twice Upon a Time, was broadcast on Christmas Day, and saw the actor regenerate into Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to take on the role of the Doctor. The show was watched live by 5.7 million people.
As he departed, Peter Capaldi, who has played the Doctor since taking over from Matt Smith in 2013, wrote to nine-year-old David McGilloway to reassure him about the character’s future.
#PeterCapaldi is my 9 year old son’s fav #DoctorWho and he was dreading his regeneration. And then he got this letter with some words of comfort from the Doctor himself among his Santa presents. Such a kind man. pic.twitter.com/Dki37Wt6Er
— Brian McGilloway (@BrianMcGilloway) December 27, 2017
“Regenerating is not completely good fun,” he told the young boy, “and it usually happens about Xmas-time. But you know what? Even though it can be a bit icky (like really bad flu) it has always, always turned out good for Dr Who. The new Doctor always becomes your favourite and the one that goes … well, he never really goes, he is always there, somewhere in time and space, and if you think about him hard enough, you will see him and he will see you.”
The note continues: “It’s like the Doctor says, everything ends and it’s always sad. But everything begins again, and that’s always happy. Be happy.”
He signs off the note “Peter Capaldi – Doctor?” and dates it 23 November 1963, the date that the very first episode of Doctor Who was transmitted on the BBC. He also drew a Dalek on the envelope.
The Doctor’s letter arrived “via Santa”, after the boy’s dad, Brian McGilloway, had been in touch with the actor.
Whittaker, who introduced herself with the two words “Oh brilliant”, will make her first full-episode debut in the autumn of 2018.
