Who's taking over the Tardis? New Doctor to be revealed on Sunday

The new Doctor Who will be unveiled on live television this Sunday, it was announced today.

BBC boss Ben Stephenson has said executives at the corporation have been using the codeword Houdini to keep the new Doctor's identity a secret.

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American magician best known for his escape acts.

Matt Smith's final appearance as the Doctor will be on the Christmas special. Smith has been playing the role since 2010.

The half-hour show, which goes out on BBC1 at 7pm this Sunday, will be presented by Zoe Ball and feature interviews with Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat. There will also be guests including celebrity fans and some previous incarnations of the Doctor.

Mr Moffat said: “The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who’s taking over the Tardis. For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking 12.”

BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson said: “We can’t wait to unveil the next Doctor with everyone live on BBC1 on Sunday night. Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we’ve been using the codename Houdini as a decoy.

“It’s the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation.”

Names in the frame to be the new Doctor include Rory Kinnear, Peter Capaldi, David Harewood and Ben Whishaw.