'Blue Peter' offers 'Doctor Who' role

Blue Peter viewers will be offered the chance to win a speaking part in the third season of the revived Doctor Who.

The competition will be launched on Monday, according to The Sun, with aspiring young actors being encouraged to make an audition tape and send it in. These will then be judged by Tardis-dweller David Tennant and executive producer Russell T Davies. Only under-14's will be able to enter.

Blue Peter has a long history of ties with Doctor Who. Former presenters Peter Purves, Sarah Greene, Janet Ellis and Christopher Wenner all had roles in the original run of the sci-fi drama, while many Doctors and monsters have appeared on Blue Peter.

Last year, nine-year-old viewer William Grantham won a competition to design a monster for the revived series. This materialised in the episode 'Love and Monsters', where his Absorbaloff creation was portrayed by comedian Peter Kay. There were a total of 43,920 entries - the most for a Blue Peter competition since 1993.