Doctor Who adds Neil Patrick Harris to cast for 60th anniversary

In a typically cryptic statement, Russell T Davies said: "It’s my huge honour to open our studio doors for the mighty Neil Patrick Harris... but who, why, what is he playing? You’ll just have to wait. But I promise you, the stuff we’re shooting now is off the scale. Doctor beware!"

Davies' final line, "Doctor beware!", could be teasing that Harris will be playing a villain in the new episode(s) but for now, nothing is certain.

It also remains uncertain whether Harris will appear opposite David Tennant's returning Doctor or Ncuti Gatwa's new Doctor, both of whom have already been announced, although with Tennant known to be filming currently he may be the more likely of the two.

Harris shot to fame in 1989 at the age of 16, when he played the title character in medical sitcom Doogie Howser, MD. He went on to star as breakout character Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, and has had film roles in the Gone Girl, The Matrix: Resurrections and this year's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

In 2021 he starred in Davies' series It's A Sin, where he played Henry Coltrane, a character working on Savile Row who introduced Callum Howells's Colin to London.

Davies' new era of Doctor Who has already seen four major casting announcements, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate confirmed to be returning to their roles and Ncuti Gatwa and Yasmin Finney playing the new Doctor and a new character called Rose respectively.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.