John Leeson, Voice of K9 in Doctor Who Since 1977, Dies at 83
British actor John Leeson died on November 1 at the age of 83. He was the signature voice of K9, the robot dog in the long-running BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, a role he first took in 1977 and returned to for nearly half a century across the main series, spin-offs and audio dramas. His son, film editor Guy Ducker, announced the death on Facebook that day: "I regret to announce the death of my father, John Ducker, a.k.a. John Leeson, at 3:03pm today after a summer of illness. The end was peaceful."
Born John Francis Christopher Ducker on March 16, 1943, in Stoneygate, Leicester, England, Leeson graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1964 and began his acting career on stage. In 1977 he first voiced K9 in the Doctor Who serial The Invisible Enemy. The robot dog, originally designed for a single story, proved so popular that it became a regular companion to Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor.
According to Doctor Who News, Leeson voiced K9 in 55 episodes of the main series. David Brierley took over the voice for Season 17, but Leeson returned for Season 18 and stayed until K9 was written out in Warriors' Gate in 1981. He came back for the spin-off K-9 and Company (1981), voiced K9 again in the revived series episode School Reunion in 2006, and appeared in the spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9, as well as Big Finish audio dramas; his recordings were also used in the 2015 video game LEGO Dimensions. Earlier this year he reunited with his Doctor Who co-star Tom Baker in the audio series Sir Sherlock, voicing Doctor Watson to Baker's Sherlock Holmes.
Beyond K9, Leeson played the original Bungle in the children's programme Rainbow and appeared in British television series including Dad's Army, Blake's 7, The Bill and Doctors; he also worked as a continuity announcer on Channel 4. He is survived by his wife, Judy Griffiths, and their son, Guy Ducker.
Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies paid tribute on November 2: "John Leeson (1943-2026). The voice of K9, and a fine, fine actor." Davies wrote that when K9 was brought back in 2006, there was no question that Leeson would be asked to provide the voice; it was impossible to imagine anyone else.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：John Leeson 2011年在洛杉矶（Los Angeles）Gallifrey One 大会上的照片。Mark Garland 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / John Leeson at Gallifrey One in Los Angeles in 2011. Photo by Mark Garland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
