Paterson JosephHe's the bookies' favourite to take over the Tardis, but Paterson Joseph has kept schtum about the Doctor Who speculation surrounding him.

Until now.

The actor, currently starring in the BBC adaptation of 70s cult classic Survivors, has admitted that he quite fancies the role.

In an interview with BBC News, Paterson said “any actor would love the challenge” of playing the Doctor.

“His parameters are so vast. I don't see why he can't have more regenerations than the 13 that those who know think a Time Lord can have.”

Paterson, who appeared in two 2005 Doctor Who episodes, also confessed to having a penchant for the genre.

He said: "Comedy and sci-fi are two areas where you can be larger than life, without the charge of overacting.

“In no other genre can you be believable as an immortal character. I love Sci-Fi for that, so yeah - I'm a big fan.”

But sadly he refused to be drawn on whether BBC bosses have been in touch.

“I'm afraid I can't make any comment on it. I'm not a gambler.”

Since current Time Lord David Tennant announced that he was hanging up his sonic screwdriver at the National TV Awards last month, speculation has been rife about who'll be next in line.

Bookmakers made Paterson an early favourite - but names such as David Morrissey (who plays a future incarnation of the Doctor in the 2008 Xmas special, The Next Doctor), Robert Carlyle and James Nesbitt are also in the mix.

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