VIDEO Zoe Ball reveals new Doctor Who is Peter Capaldi on BBC One special

In the second biggest announcement in Great Britain this year, the BBC has revealed the identity of the 12th incarnation of Doctor Who as 55-year-old actor Peter Capaldi! The announcement came during a BBC One telecast with Zoe Ball during which Capaldi (star of The Thick of It) was in attendance to talk about getting the role and what it means to him.

Zoe makes the big announcement prior to Peter’s entrance right around the 4:15 mark:

“It’s so wonderful not to keep this secret any longer, but it’s been so fantastic,” Capaldi said. He reveals that he was filming in Prague when he got the call, but his cell phone was on silent. When he was finally able to answer, he was greeted with “Hello, Doctor!”

The former Doctor Matt Smith offered his well wishes via video, telling Peter:

I just want to wish my successor all the best, and just say, “Good luck,” and good on you for getting it because I know he is both a huge fan of the show and a really nice guy. And I think the casting of it made me really excited, genuinely, and as a fan I think it’s a really canny choice. I think he’ll be a hit. So, good luck man! It’s gonna be a thrill!

Peter Capaldi talked about his Doctor Who fandom, revealing he had acted out scenes when he was nine years old. And in a heartfelt summation of the show, he said “Doctor Who belongs to all of us.” He then added, “Everyone made Doctor Who.”

Congratulations to Peter, who inherits one of the hippest and funnest roles on television today!