The Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who is over - the Scottish actor is stepping down from his role as the TV timelord.

The star stunned fans by making the announcement during a BBC Radio 2 interview with presenter Jo Whiley on Monday (30Jan17).

"I feel it’s time to move on," he said, revealing he's staying with the hit sci-fi show until the end of 2017.

Capaldi, 58, became the 12th actor to play The Doctor in 2013.

He took over from Matt Smith, who currently portrays Prince Phillip in hit TV drama The Crown.

The Scottish actor's announcement comes a month after Doctor Who broke records in America at Christmas (16).

U.S. fans of the time traveller's adventures tuned in to watch the Christmas special The Return of Doctor Mysterio on Christmas Day (25Dec16), giving the network its biggest ratings of the year.

The Christmas special was also a hit on social media, becoming the most tweeted-about show on Christmas night. It also ruled Facebook as fans jumped online to chat about the program.