The BBC has acted swiftly to pour cold water on a report that Doctor Who star Matt Smith is preparing to leave the long-running sci-fi drama.
The Mirror newspaper has claimed that the 29-year-old actor was set to leave the hit show next year, but BBC Head of Communications Sam Hodges has taken to Twitter to deny the report.
He tweeted: "Matt Smith hasn't quit - just an over excitable headline.
"He says in an interview that he won't be the Doctor forever - hardly quitting!"
And he added: "He'll be around for a good while yet."
When challenged by a Twitter user claiming the story was designed to boost viewing figures to seven million for [uuid=d4e85a73-1453-4fb2-86bf-3fbc38011063]the debut episode[/uuid] of the next series, Mr Hughes denied it.
He said: "Not at all - and we don't set targets like that."
The Mirror had quoted comments made by Smith in an interview with Empire magazine, admitting that the show was wearing him out.
He said: "I don't think you can sustain it. Tom Baker did it in different circumstances. I couldn't do this for seven years. I'd be run into the ground. I don't think you can sustain it.
"And your life outside of it is... I don't know. I hope I don't sound too pessimistic.
"It's just I don't think my body or my life or the people around me could sustain it."