Doctor Who contender Luke Treadaway responds to casting rumours

Luke Treadaway has delivered a mysterious response to RadioTimes.com’s report that BBC bosses are sizing him up to become the thirteenth Doctor.

The Fortitude star posted this gnomic tweet in response to our story:

What can it mean? Does this suggest that he is up for it – or was it a sarcastic response indicating that he doesn’t think he will be picked?

Whatever the answer it appears that his fans are very keen for him to be handed Peter Capaldi’s Sonic Screwdriver.

As RadioTimes.com revealed yesterday, the star is understood to be "in the race" for the role, according to a source on the show with actor Sacha Dhawan another contender.

Treadaway is said to have interested the Doctor Who producers following his work as young scientist Vincent Rattrey in Sky Atlantic's gory thriller Fortitude. He has also appeared as Alex "Hurricane" Higgins in BBC drama The Rack Pack and played busker James in British film A Street Cat Named Bob.

Kris Marshall, the former Death in Paradise star, was thought to have been a shoe-in for the role which is still being cast. But now it seems he has other serious rivals.

One thing that does seem likely at this stage is that the BBC will resist plumping for a woman for the part having considered the move early in the process and ruling it out.

The BBC has declined to comment on any of the casting speculation.