Once is coincidence, twice is conspiracy...or perhaps just a second coincidence. But he's done it again: Matt Smith has let slip more hints that will have people wondering if he's leaving Doctor Who after the next series.

This time he's said it in Los Angeles, where music channel VH1 asked him when he'd be coming to work in the States. "Well, hopefully soon, you know," he said. "I've got another year of Doctor Who but then I'm certainly going to come and give it a shot, come and hang out in LA."

He does definitely have another year of Doctor Who to make - and his next series will be spread out, airing over 2012 and 2013 - and perhaps all he's doing is modestly not presuming he'll be wanted for another.

But if he didn't learn early on in his career as a Time Lord that his every word would be studied, he would've gathered in August: in an interview with Radio Times he appeared to slip up, saying : "When I finish [Doctor Who], I'll be... Well, I don't know how old I'll be..." 

Every Doctor gets quizzed about when they're planning to leave, but this time there is an added dimension: 2013 is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, so will we see a new, 12th Doctor as part of the celebration?