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Doctor Who's Steven Moffat says Matt Smith wishes he were back on show – 15 years on from debut
Where were you for The Eleventh Hour?
Mark Harrison
- David Craig
Published: Monday, 9 June 2025 at 12:45 pm
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Doctor Who star Matt Smith still wishes to return to the iconic role of the Doctor, according to his former showrunner Steven Moffat.
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Following breakout hit episodes The Empty Child, Blink and Silence in the Library, Moffat took over the reins of Doctor Who for its fifth revived season, which introduced Smith's Eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan's companion Amy Pond.
The roles catapulted both to international stardom, with Smith currently starring in HBO's House of the Dragon, while Gillan has found success in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Jumanji films.
Nevertheless, Smith told Moffat that, 15 years on from his debut, he still fantasises about returning to the set.
In a scene from the latest Doctor Who: Unleashed, which celebrates two decades of revived Who, Moffat tells the audience: "Today, as I sit here, is the 15th anniversary of when the 11th Doctor fell to Earth and ate fish custard."
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He continues: "I WhatsApp'd Matt this morning saying it was 15 years, and he said, 'I wish I was on that set now'. See? You see, Matt? Don't leave."
Alas, Smith did just that in 2013's Christmas special The Time of the Doctor, which saw his Eleventh Doctor regenerate into Peter Capaldi's Twelfth. But the actor has only had positive things to say about his tenure in the years since.
In March 2022, on the press tour for Sony's Morbius, Smith was grilled on the prospect of returning as The Doctor, describing it as "the best part in the world" and "all part of the plan".
Later that year, Smith recalled: "I was very lucky that I got the opportunity to work with brilliant friends like Karen [Gillan], Arthur [Darvill] and Jenna [Coleman]. We had such great chemistry and we had such a great time making that show.
Karen Gillan and Matt Smith filming on location for Doctor Who in Central Park on April 11th 2012 in New York City. Michael Stewart / WireImage
"I'm so proud, to this day, to be part of that world. There is a huge amount of pressure that comes with it, just as there is with House of the Dragon, but it's very rewarding."
That said, he did confess that becoming famous overnight after landing the role of the Doctor was "discombobulating", as he quickly had to get used to being recognised in public after years of relative anonymity.
The next Doctor may be returning star Billie Piper, who was featured at the end of a regeneration sequence in the season 15 finale, although some viewers have theorised that her shock return could mean something else entirely.
Doctor Who: Unleashed is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
David CraigSenior Drama Writer
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
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