Billie Piper as the Doctor?!

Something new to add to the speculation pile, reported by The Telegraph.

Billie Piper could be next Dr Who

The actor is to quit his role as the Time Lord in the BBC's long-running sci-fi show at the end of next year. Piper previously played Rose Tyler, Tennant's feisty assistant, and was a big hit with fans.

Asked if Piper could step into the role, Tennant said a female Doctor was a distinct possibility.

"Why not? It's one of those parts that any actor could bring something valid to, because it can be anything and it's a sort of blank canvas every time."

"Who knows what might happen in the future. It is one of those parts that sticks with you... the door isn't closed forever, but in a day to day way I'll be handing over the mantle to somebody else."

Piper - who gave birth to her first child, a son called Winston, last month - will now be among the front-runners to play the 11th Doctor. Other contenders include Paterson Joseph, who has appeared in previous episodes of the show and would be the first black Doctor; David Morrissey, who appears in the Christmas special, intriguingly titled The Next Doctor; and James Nesbitt, star of Cold Feet.

There has been talk of a female Doctor once before, when Joanna Lumley was mooted as a replacement for Tom Baker in 1981. However, the role went to Peter Davison.

Read the full article here