Doctor Who star passes away age 83.
John Francis Christopher Ducker known professionally as John Leeson, was an English actor was best known for portraying Bungle in Rainbow and voicing K9 in Doctor Who and spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9.
News of Leeson’s passing was announced by his Son Guy Ducker on Facebook today (1st November 2026):
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.
“Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Leeson trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and his varied stage and television career spanned half a century. It included work in both repertory and West End productions including Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite (1969), Flint (1970) and Don’t Start Without Me (1971), and character acting work across a wide range of television sitcoms and costume dramas from the 1970s onwards, including Dad’s Army, Sorry!, Rings on Their Fingers, adaptations of The Barretts of Wimpole Street and Vanity Fair, Shadow of the Noose, Crown Court and Longitude.
Leeson was first brought on as the voice of K9 in Doctor Who for 1977’s The Invisible Enemy. Producer Graham Williams liked the character so much that the decision was made to retain him as a regular character to appeal to the younger members of the audience.
Leeson became worried about how appearing only as the voice of the character would hinder future employment if he was not appearing in visible roles; he left the programme after the conclusion of the 16th season in 1979. He was, however seen on-screen that season as the character Dugeen during the serial The Power of Kroll (1978–1979).
David Brierley took over for four stories (one of which was never completed due to a BBC strike) the following year. When John Nathan-Turner took over as producer of the series for season 18 in 1980, Leeson agreed to return before the character was written out.
Leeson also agreed to voice K9 in K-9 and Company (1981), a spin-off from Doctor Who which was not picked up after the airing of its pilot episode.
He later voiced K9 for a cameo appearance in the 20th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, and has since reprised K9’s voice in several Big Finish audio dramas.
Big Finish Productions posted a tribute to Leeson on Facebook:
Everyone at Big Finish is very sad to learn of the death of John Leeson earlier today. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by us all.
He voiced K9 for the character’s return in the 2006 Doctor Who episode School Reunion, leading to giving him recurring character status in The Sarah Jane Adventures. Leeson then reprised K9 again in the episode Journey’s End.
The most recent occasion of Leeson voicing K9 is in the spin-off television series K9.
In November 2013, Leeson appeared as K9 in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
Fourth Doctor Tom Baker reunited with Leeson this year for his new Sherlock Holmes audio dramas with Baker reprising his role as the famous detective in AUK’s Sir Sherlock series, with the next story aptly being titled The Doctor’s Son.
As the Kickstarter for the story launches, he’s reflected on working once again with John Leeson, who voiced K9 in Doctor Who, and who’s voicing John Watson in Sir Sherlock.
Speaking to Radio Times, Baker said:
“Ah, K9! How wonderful to be reunited with John Leeson. He’s always such an encouraging actor and shamelessly boosting my ego.
He just is so easy to work with. Very supportive. A lot of silent ‘thumbs-up’ to each other. I guess because we’ve known each other for such a long time now, it just has its own chemistry.
I mean, I know he’s been doing a bit of moonlighting by working with other Doctors but come on, David Tennant won’t love him like I do!”
Other credits include appearances in Blake’s 7 (in the season A episode “Mission to Destiny” and the season B episode “Gambit”). Also, notably in children’s programmes, ITV’s Rainbow from 1972 as the original Bungle.
