His casting is the fulfilment of a personal ambition for the self-declared Who fan.
“I love this show. I subscribe to Dr Who magazine, I’ve got a Tardis ringtone, a five-foot cardboard Dalek in my bedroom and when I got the call saying they wanted me to read for the part, I was in the back of my tour bus watching episode three of The Sensorites. I am beyond excited,” said Skinner.
The Room 101 host will appear in an episode written by Jamie Mathieson (Being Human, Dirk Gently) which also stars David Bamber, Daisy Beaumont, Janet Henfrey and Christopher Villiers.
Steven Moffat, Doctor Who lead writer and executive producer, says: “It’s no secret that Frank’s been pitching vigorously to get into Doctor Who for a while. He’s been volunteering to be ‘third monster on the left’ as long as I’ve been in this job.
“But now, in Jamie Mathieson’s sparkling script, we finally have a part that can showcase all of Frank’s famous wit and charm. Hopefully he’ll get out of my garden now.”