Doctor Who actor John Leeson dead aged 83: TV star who voiced robot dog K9 in sci-fi series passes away after a period of illness

Doctor Who legend John Leeson has died at the age of 83 after a 'summer of illness'. The actor, who voiced robot dog K9 in the BBC sci-fi series, passed away on Sunday afternoon, revealed his family. Taking to Facebook, John's 54-year-old son, film editor Guy Ducker, shared: 'I regret to announce the death of my father, John Ducker, a.k.a. John Leeson, at 3.03pm today after a summer of illness. The end was peaceful.'Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. (sic)'Former Doctor Who star David Tennant said John brought 'something no special effect could supply' to the role of K9 and said he was 'saddened by the news'.He penned: 'We’re saddened by the news that John Leeson, the much-loved voice of K9, has passed away aged 83. Doctor Who legend John Leeson has died at the age of 83 after a 'summer of illness' The actor, who voiced robot dog K9 in the BBC sci-fi series, passed away on Sunday afternoon revealed his family; pictured with David Tennant 'John gave the Doctor’s loyal robot dog something no special effect could supply, a personality that generations would love. That unmistakable voice could make K9 sound clever, wonderfully particular and quietly heroic sometimes within a single “Affirmative”.'For fans of David Tennant’s Doctor, his return in School Reunion holds a special place. Alongside Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, K9 brought a piece of Doctor Who’s past into its present, welcoming a whole new generation into an already much-loved friendship.'From his first adventures with Tom Baker’s Doctor to The Sarah Jane Adventures and beyond, John made K9 a beloved fan favourite of the show.'Our thoughts are with his family, friends, fans and everyone who loved him.'Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, 63, led the tributes to 'true gent' John.Taking to Instagram, he penned: 'John Leeson (1943-2026) The voice of K9, and a fine, fine actor.'When we brought K9 back in 2006, there was no question that we'd ask John to provide the voice, it was impossible to imagine anyone else.'And really, what a performance, what a character: a posh dog, uppity, haughty, wry, but somehow innocent too, and so funny. 'Maximum defence mode!' God he was good. Pitched perfectly so that kids could impersonate him. That's not easy, that's hell of a piece of acting.'And he was wonderfully dedicated to that character for… gasp, six decades! He'd phone me up and chat sometimes - on the landline, I remember, those were the days. Including one time when he hadn't been paid! But he was so gracious about it.'A true gent, and a great loss. Sympathy to his family and friends.'Good night, sir. Affirmative! (sic)' Former Doctor Who star David Tennant said John brought 'something no special effect could supply' to the role of K9 and said he was 'saddened by the news'A supporter on Facebook typed: 'Totally gutted was really nice man in the times he attended my events, great shock and loss and he will be greatly missed RIP John (sic).'And a third follower on X wrote: 'Thanks for the entertainment John, rest easy. That Tom Baker era of Doctor Who is brilliant.'Earlier this year, John reunited with Tom Baker, 92, for the audio drama Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day, in which they played Doctor Watson and Sherlock Holmes, respectively.Born in Stoneygate, Leicester, on March 16, 1943, John was best known for voicing the robot dog K9 on Doctor Who.He made his debut in 1977's The Invisible Enemy and continued in the role through much of the original series before leaving the programme.John reprised the role multiple times after leaving the series, including for the 1981 spin-off K9 and Company, the 20th-anniversary special The Five Doctors and several audio dramas, before returning to the main programme in 2006 after its revival.John also voiced the original Bungle bear on ITV's children's show Rainbow.His other acting credits included the BBC's sitcom Dad's Army and sci-fi series Blake's 7 and the ITV police procedural series, The Bill.