Wired have posted an exclusive interview with Matt Smith, in which he shares his personal theory on why the Doctor continues to travel through time and space.

“I think the Doctor’s got a lot of blood on his hands, and I think if he didn’t travel the universe, he would probably end up hanging himself,” the actor explained. “He wouldn’t know what to do. I mean, for 900 years he’s seen a lot of people die. He’s let a lot of people die, he’s had too. To save the greater good.”

He added: “He can’t not repay, he can’t not redeem himself in some way. But also he’s a thrill seeker, he loves it. If any of us had a time machine, what would you do? You’d go and have a look at the dinosaurs – I would!”

The new series of Doctor Who begins Saturday 3rd April on BBC One and BBC HD.