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'Doctor Who' social media channels go blank ahead of series 13 launch

'Doctor Who's' social media accounts have disappeared. (BBC)
'Doctor Who's' social media accounts have disappeared. (BBC)

Doctor Who has wiped all of its social media channels and website, leading fans to speculate that a big season 13 announcement is coming.

The BBC One cult hit is due to launch its new series, the last for current Time Lord Jodie Whittaker, imminently - but now, the show's online presence has disappeared.

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Fans searching for the Doctor Who Twitter page were met with an error message saying "This account doesn't exist", the YouTube channel announced "This channel doesn't have any content", and the show's official Instagram page was replaced by "Sorry, this page isn't available".

But rather than seeming to be a technical glitch, the plot thickened with what appeared to be a coded error message on the show's website.

Yaz (Mandip Gill), The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Dan (John Bishop) in Doctor Who S13 (BBC Studios/James Pardon)
Season 13 will be Jodie Whittaker's last. (BBC)

Visitors to doctorwho.tv were met with an error screen background of a space rock explosion and the words: "Oh my giddy Aunt! The stuff, it’s gone wibbly (1313)."

Whovians will know that "Oh my giddy Aunt" was a catchphrase much used by the second incarnation of the Doctor, played by Patrick Troughton.

The "wibbly" part of the message appears to be a reference to David Tennant's 10th Doctor, who in one episode described time as "a big ball of wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey stuff".

Doctor Who Special 2020 - Revolution Of The Daleks (BBC - Photographer: James Pardon)
The social media accounts were exterminated. (BBC/James Pardon)

Speculation on the "1313" ending to the message has included references to Whittaker playing the 13th Doctor and the sci-fi series heading into its 13th season.

One fan tweeted: "The official doctor who account is GONE what do we do now? We’ve been abandoned i’m so lost and confused."

Someone else added: "If the @bbcdoctorwho Twitter account vanishing isn't part of some clever marketing strategy, they should definitely style it out as one."

Another person wondered: "New trailer at 13:13 tomorrow maybe?"

David Tennant arrives for the Gala Screening of the Doctor Who Christmas espisode ('Voyage of the Damned', TX: BBC One, Christmas Day, Tuesday December 25, 2007 @ 1850) at The Science Museum in west London.   (Photo by Anthony Devlin - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
One error message appeared to refer to David Tennant's Time Lord. (Anthony Devlin/PA Images via Getty Images)

When Whittaker announced in the summer that her time on the show was about to come to an end, she said: "In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them.

"My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life."

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She added: "I don't think I'll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I've learnt forever.

"I know change can be scary and none of us know what's out there. That's why we keep looking. Travel Hopefully. The Universe will surprise you. Constantly."

Watch: Who's next? Jodie Whittaker to leave Doctor Who