May said, in an interview with Radio Times: “I always like to see Doctor Who on Christmas night, if possible, and a nice Agatha Christie to curl up with. David Suchet was a great Poirot – he got him to a T.”

Capaldi, who has played the role of The Doctor for three years, will appear in the Christmas Day episode, entitled The Return Of Doctor Mysterio.

The 58-year-old actor said the attention he gets for starring in the long-running BBC sci-fi series is “lovely”, especially when it comes from his younger fans.

He said: “People are very nice. I think it’s something about the character. The Doctor is a good thing in the world and I think people feel a deep affection for whatever Doctor it was they grew up with.

“Sometimes I’ll walk into a room and there will be some kids there and they’ll gasp – that’s a wonderful feeling. Can you imagine how lovely that is to have such affection pointed in your direction?”

He added: “They don’t ask very much of you, they just like to see you and for you to say hello to them and smile at them.”

Capaldi described the Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who as a “tradition”, a programme that pulls in viewers who are not fans of the series, reports the Press Association.

He said: “I think the Christmas Day episode has a special role to fill. I think a lot of the time people watch it who don’t watch Doctor Who, so it becomes rather like a tradition.

“It provides a nostalgic reminder to people perhaps don’t watch the show that it’s still around, and reminds them of their childhood.”

Capaldi will appear alongside Matt Lucas, Justin Chatwin and Charity Wakefield in The Return Of Doctor Mysterio, which is set in New York City and has a superhero theme.