DOCTOR WHO - YOUNG ACTOR MATT SMITH UNVEILED AS NEW DOCTOR WHO

YOUNG ACTOR MATT SMITH UNVEILED AS NEW DOCTOR WHO

Young British actor Matt Smith has been confirmed as the next man to play Doctor Who.

David Tennant, currently recovering from back surgery, confirmed in October he would step down from the popular BBC1 show after filming four special episodes this year.

And after substantial speculation from fans and critics alike, Smith has been confirmed as the next person to take control of the Tardis, resolving one of the most closely guarded secrets in television history.

At 26, the Party Animals star is the youngest actor to have ever played the role.

However, the production team believe has the "old and young" characters necessary to play the Doctor.

"There's a huge legacy that comes with the Doctor but I think it's important to make your own choices," the Olivier award nominee said.

A former member of the National Youth Theatre, he starred in Alan Bennett's History Boys and is best known for his appearances in the TV adaptations of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North.

"I have been warned about what to expect [from fans] and I think David's going to be quite helpful with that," Smith joked.

Tennant said he was "very jealous" of the "extraordinary journey" Smith was about to embark upon as the 11th Doctor.

"The press will call him an unknown, but that's slightly unfair for a man who's had several leading roles," said executive producer Piers Wenger.

"We are so pleased to have been able to cast this person as the new Doctor.

"We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own."

Despite having back surgery earlier this month, David Tennant is expected to be fit to resume filming a Doctor Who special in January.

An "ongoing back injury" forced Tennant to withdraw from the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) production of Hamlet until after Christmas and it was feared he may not have recovered sufficiently to begin shooting Doctor Who on January 19th.

However, executive producer Russell T Davies said in December he was "hopeful" the Scottish actor would be ready to film the first of his final four appearances as the Time Lord.

Doctor Who was cancelled in 1989 - after seven actors had played the Time Lord - but following a 1996 TV movie, Christopher Eccleston took the lead role as the show returned to the BBC in 2005 before Tennant took over later that year.