John Leeson, voice of Doctor Who’s K9, dies aged 83

Actor John Leeson, best known as the voice of K9 in Doctor Who, has died aged 83, his son Guy Ducker announced on Facebook. Ducker said his father had been ill over the summer and that his death was peaceful. Leeson, born John Ducker, first voiced the robotic dog in the 1977 Doctor Who serial The Invisible Enemy, alongside Tom Baker as the Doctor. He went on to reprise the role across multiple eras of the television series, in audio dramas and in the spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures. Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies paid tribute to Leeson, describing him as both the voice of K9 and a fine actor. Davies said it was impossible to imagine anyone else voicing the character when K9 returned to the programme in 2006, and praised Leeson’s performance for giving the mechanical dog a distinct personality. K9 became Leeson’s best-known role, but his television career also included appearances in Dad’s Army, Sorry!, Crown Court, The Bill, Vanity Fair, Doctors and Blake’s 7. He played Bungle the Bear in the children’s series Rainbow and worked as a continuity announcer for Channel 4. Leeson continued to work with Doctor Who cast members in his final year. In 2026, he reunited with...