Ben Miller has revealed that he was asked if he’d like to play the Doctor — and confirmed that he would’ve loved to!

He appeared on The One Show alongside Jenna Coleman, so naturally, the subject of Doctor Who cropped up. Miller said:

“I’d have loved to have been Doctor Who. I was once approached and asked if I would be interested in being Doctor Who – this is going back a few years – and I said yes, I would be interested. At which point, I never heard anything else ever again, and Doctor Who became more and more successful without me.”

We’re not quite sure when this would’ve been, but we may posit that it happened in the early Russell T Davies years, or perhaps he was in the running when David Tennant quit the show. Might Miller have been the Eleventh Doctor, a role that instead went to Matt Smith? It’s certainly possible, but the names of people who go for the lead role but aren’t cast are rarely leaked.

But of course, Ben has ben in Doctor Who — with Jenna, no less! In the interview, he goes on to say that he enjoyed playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robot of Sherwood, a role which came shortly after he left Death in Paradise, the series he’s arguably best known for.

And he would still love to play the Doctor too.

Meanwhile, his comedy partner, Alexander Armstrong appeared in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, and voiced Mr Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures! Ah, how I miss The Armstrong and Miller Show…