Doctor Who star Tom Baker's health and fan concerns as he's made MBE

Doctor Who icon Tom Baker has been awarded an MBE aged 90.

The actor shot to fame as the fourth Doctor in the BBC series, playing the role from 1974 until 1981. Now he’s been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to television as part of the King’s New Year Honours list.

In recent years, however, fans have grown concerned for Tom’s health, worrying about his “frail” appearance – but the actor has “no intention of dying”.

In one Doctor Who interview, Tom was asked about his lasting legacy, but fumed: “Oh, come on. Legacy is after people die, isn’t it? Is he out of his mind? No, no, I have no intention of dying. None at all! God, it was such an effort to come into this world, but that’s another story. No, no legacy.”

Over on Reddit, fans shared their concerns after a new picture of Tom was posted with him looking slightly thinner than usual back in 2022 – but the star still seems to be ageing gracefully, and is heading into 2025.

One Redditor said: “If I think back to when I saw him last and this picture, it feels like a really big change. I do hope he has a lot left in the tank.” As another echoed: “He looks like he’s a lost a considerable amount of weight which is why he looks different I think, however whether thats intentional loss I don’t know.”

Someone else argued at the time: “The man is 88 years old. He looks his age. His mind still seems very healthy based on his recent public appearances.”

Another said: “It's also due to him being very old. He is 88. Looks good for almost 90 if you ask me.”

Tom hasn’t spoken publicly about any health concerns – other than one health battle he faced while filming Doctor Who. The star is believed to have suffered from gout during series 18, though he has only cryptically referred to the battle in interviews.

When the star was unwell, his hair needed to be permed on-set as it had flattened so much from his illness.