Spin Doctor Who? Peter Capaldi favourite to replace Matt Smith as the BBC's new Time Lord

Peter Capaldi has become the bookies’ latest favourite to play the title role in Doctor Who.

William Hill reported there has been a surge of bets on Capaldi taking over from Matt Smith in the BBC science fiction drama at the end of the year.

The actor, 55, known for playing hot-headed Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, has been placed above Ben Daniels and Rory Kinnear to play the 12th Doctor.

Capaldi has surged to the top of the bookies’ list after a flurry of low-level bets under £50, making up 60 per cent of all bets placed on who will be named the next Doctor.

Joe Crilly, a spokesperson for William Hill, said: “Peter Capaldi was not even in our list a few days ago but he has been the subject of a lot of betting interest recently and this gamble would suggest that if he does not have the part already, he is almost certainly on the shortlist.”

It is thought that Capaldi’s name began to surface after Doctor Who creator Steven Moffat said he would not rule out casting an older Doctor.

He said: “We’ve never not considered an older Doctor. It is completely on all the lists we make- there are absolutely older Doctors.”

Other actors who have been linked to the role in the past few weeks include David Harewood, Rory Kinnear, Dan Stevens, Bill Bailey, Daniel Rigby and Damien Molony.

Previous frontrunner Rory Kinnear has slipped to third place at the bookies after he revealed he had never seen an episode of Doctor Who.

Odds to replace Matt Smith as the Doctor

Peter Capaldi: 2/1

Ben Daniels: 4/1

Rory Kinnear: 6/1

Ben Whishaw: 10/1

David Harewood: 10/1