A big part of me wanted to stay because it’s a wonderful job and he’s a wonderful character. My life will never be the same. I’ll never play another part quite like this.

I was five when the show started. I don’t remember Doctor Who not being part of my life, and it became a part of growing up, along with The Beatles, National Health spectacles, and fog. And it runs deep. It’s in my DNA...

It's astonishing! I've never seen anything like it. Truth be told, I was a little nervous about the 50th-anniversary issue. We worked hard to put together a really good package for readers, but you never quite know how anything is going to go down. You just cross your fingers and hope people like it.

We've been overwhelmed with messages from readers who have enjoyed the new magazine - but what has been even more exciting is seeing after just a few days on sale the issue was selling out across the country!

We've been taken completely by surprise, as we'd already printed a lot more copies than usual, so Panini has taken the unprecedented step of reprinting the issue in order to get more stock out to the shops. I was looking back at past sales figures, and it's sold even more copies than the "Bad Wolf" edition of 2008 (issue 397), which was the previous highest seller of recent years.

To go back to find an issue that has sold even more copies, well, it's the early-1980s at least - and then our records run out. So I can truthfully say it's the highest-selling issue of DWM since records began! And that's not even including digital sales. An amazing thing for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Thank you so much to all our readers for your support over the years. To keep the magazine going for the 16 years when the TV show itself had gone off air is down to your passion and loyalty. And if you haven't got your anniversary issue yet - well, snap it up fast before it dematerialises for good!

It's my job to put a smile on Doctor Who fans’ faces, in complete co-operation with BBC Worldwide. Doctor Who fans need to know that we are actively searching for material. So don’t lose hope!

It's still in the early stages of development, but we hope to improve it over time. We hope you enjoy visiting.

Sylvester McCoy: It’s very important to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who, and it’s so exciting, too. It’s really nice that people treat you in a very loving and caring way, and they like to see you. And it’s great to come together with the other actors who played Doctor Who.

Paul McGann: You’re guaranteed that... that energy, and that presence, and that sense of humour.

Colin Baker: To have us all together is a kind of critical mass of uranium, that should produce something pretty explosive!

Peter Davison: I think it’s very important that we do something to commemorate the 50th anniversary. It’s very nice to be a part of something that’s been running for 50 years and is still going strong.

Tom Baker: In Waitrose, a certain kind of old lady finds me quite interesting...

He’s always looked like Doctor Who, how has this taken us so long?! Because the moment you say his name, you go ‘Of course!’ Because he’s got the hair, and he’s got the look, he’s brilliant, he’s known to be a fan, of course it’s bloody him!

I'm absolutely delighted – and a little bit stunned – to see Doctor Who Magazine's ABC figure increase by so much for the first part of 2013. Whenever these figures are published, we always brace ourselves – sometimes we might have gone up a bit, sometimes we might have gone down a bit. In fact, even holding steady is always a major achievement in the current magazine climate. For us to have increased by more than 10 per cent since the last report is staggering, and also highlights our strong sales in North America, due to the increasing popularity of Doctor Who there.

Of course, the second half of 2013 will see the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who itself, so here at Panini we're very hopeful that we can keep these strong sales – and improve on them – in time for the next ABC report in six months' time. We've got some great plans for the 50th anniversary, which will include strong coverage of the forthcoming Anniversary and Christmas Specials, as well as the Adventure in Space and Time drama for BBC Two. We're also planning further ahead, as we look forward into next year and the arrival of the Twelfth Doctor.

I'd like to thank all of DWM's readers for staying with us over the years, and to give a huge welcome to anyone who's picked up the magazine for the first time recently. Doctor Who Magazine has been around for almost 34 years now, and we're going to be here for a long time yet. For DWM, the best is definitely still to come!

After changing frequency, Doctor Who Adventures magazine is now the top-selling boys' fortnightly title in a tough and challenging market. With a new Doctor just announced, the 50th anniversary of the programme, and renewed interest in the Time Lord, we are very optimistic about the future of this well-established magazine.