Matt Smith Will Leave DOCTOR WHO At The End Of The Year

Right now, millions of Whovian hearts’ are being shattered brutally to pieces. Earlier the BBC teased a major announcement set to come at Midnight GMT tonight, and Bleeding Cool revealed – along with pretty much every fan’s common sense – that they’ve been hearing it’ll be the news of Matt Smith leaving the acclaimed sci-fi show. Smith has played the Eleventh Doctor since the show’s major relaunch with Steven Moffat and Karen Gillan (who was recently announced for a villain role in Guardians of the Galaxy) back in 2010, and in my opinion is one of, if not the greatest Doctor.

The news was leaked early by The Daily Mail, prompting all the official stuff to come along, including quotes from both Smith and Moffat with the latter talking about the search for a new Doctor. Both Moffat and Jenna Louise-Coleman as Clara Oswald will be returning for Series 8 next year and Smith will regenerate at the end of this year’s Christmas Special. Check out everything below:

Matt Smith on his departure: “Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I’m incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It’s been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he’s a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I’ve never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I’m back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!

It’s been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.”

Steven Moffat on Matt’s departure: “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.

But great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that’s still so exciting!”

Matt Smith will be returning to your screens Saturday, November 23 to star in the 50th Anniversary Special along with John Hurt, David Tennant, Jenna Louise-Coleman and Billie Piper. I have to say, as a massive Whovian, this news had deeply saddened me – I now think of him as my Doctor and love him to bits. However it’ll be incredibly exciting to be a part of the build-up to December 25 this year, when the new Doctor shall be revealed…

SOURCE: BBC