Doctor Who legend John Leeson has died at the age of 83 after a 'summer of illness'.
asserted
Leeson → die → illness
The actor, who voiced robot dog K9 in the BBC sci-fi series, passed away on Sunday afternoon, revealed his family.
asserted
who → voice → family
Taking to Facebook, John's 54-year-old son, film editor Guy Ducker, shared: '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.
asserted
I → take → illness
'Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
asserted
flights → sing → rest
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant said John brought 'something no special effect could supply' to the role of K9 and said he was 'saddened by the news'.
uncertain
he → say → news
He penned: 'We’re saddened by the news that John Leeson, the much-loved voice of K9, has passed away aged 83.
asserted
Leeson → pen → 83
Doctor Who legend John Leeson has died at the age of 83 after a 'summer of illness'
asserted
Leeson → die → illness
The actor, who voiced robot dog K9 in the BBC sci-fi series, passed away on Sunday afternoon revealed his family; pictured with David Tennant
'
asserted
who → voice → Tennant
John gave the Doctor’s loyal robot dog something no special effect could supply, a personality that generations would love.
uncertain
generations → give → that
That unmistakable voice could make K9 sound clever, wonderfully particular and quietly heroic sometimes within a single “Affirmative”.
uncertain
K9 → make → Affirmative
For fans of David Tennant’s Doctor, his return in School Reunion holds a special place.
asserted
return → hold → place
Alongside Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, K9 brought a piece of Doctor Who’s past into its present, welcoming a whole new generation into an already much-loved friendship.
asserted
K9 → bring → friendship
From his first adventures with Tom Baker’s Doctor to The Sarah Jane Adventures and beyond, John made K9 a beloved fan favourite of the show.
asserted
K9 → make → show
'Our thoughts are with his family, friends, fans and everyone who loved him.'
asserted
who → love → him
Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, 63, led the tributes to 'true gent' John.
asserted
Davies → lead → John
Taking to Instagram, he penned: 'John Leeson (1943-2026) The voice of K9, and a fine, fine actor.
asserted
he → take → K9
'When we brought K9 back in 2006, there was no question that we'd ask John to provide the voice, it was impossible to imagine anyone else.
asserted
it → bring → anyone
Pitched perfectly so that kids could impersonate him.
uncertain
kids → pitch → him
'And he was wonderfully dedicated to that character for… gasp, six decades!
asserted
he → gasp → decades
He'd phone me up and chat sometimes - on the landline, I remember, those were the days.
asserted
those → phone → landline
Including one time when he hadn't been paid!
asserted
he → include → time
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant said John brought 'something no special effect could supply' to the role of K9 and said he was 'saddened by the news'
A supporter on Facebook typed: 'Totally gutted was really nice man in the times he attended my events, great shock and loss and he will be greatly missed RIP John (sic).'
And a third follower on X wrote: 'Thanks for the entertainment John, rest easy.
uncertain
follower → say → entertainment
Earlier this year, John reunited with Tom Baker, 92, for the audio drama Sir Sherlock: The Red Letter Day, in which they played Doctor Watson and Sherlock Holmes, respectively.
asserted
they → reunite → Watson
Born in Stoneygate, Leicester, on March 16, 1943, John was best known for voicing the robot dog K9 on Doctor Who.
asserted
John → bear → Who
He made his debut in 1977's The Invisible Enemy and continued in the role through much of the original series before leaving the programme.
asserted
He → make → programme
John reprised the role multiple times after leaving the series, including for the 1981 spin-off K9 and Company, the 20th-anniversary special The Five Doctors and several audio dramas, before returning to the main programme in 2006 after its revival.
asserted
John → reprise → revival
John also voiced the original Bungle bear on ITV's children's show Rainbow.
asserted
John → voice → show
His other acting credits included the BBC's sitcom Dad's Army and sci-fi series Blake's 7 and the ITV police procedural series, The Bill.
asserted
credits → include → sitcom
The Aporia
