10.22am - Prince Charles turned down role in Dr Who

THE Prince of Wales turned down an offer to star in science fiction hit Doctor Who, the show's producer has revealed.

Speaking at the The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, writer and executive producer Russell T Davies told 2,000 sci-fi fans the Prince snubbed his invitation to star in the popular BBC drama.

Joined on-stage by actor John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in the hit series, Mr Davies OBE called the Prince a "miserable swine".

Referring to his new book Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Mr Davies was asked about his plans for a Prince Charles cameo in the time-travelling series.

He said: "He turned us down, the miserable swine."

Mr Davies, considered to be the leading force behind the 44-year-old show's revival, recently announced his tenure as lead writer and executive producer would end in 2009.

The 45-year-old Welshman resisted giving away any secrets about the forthcoming specials or next series to the crowd in Cheltenham.

The 10-day literature festival, now in its 59th year, will see a host of political figures, writers, actors and comedians take part in more than 350 events across 20 different venues.

This year's line-up boasts the likes of actor and director Sir Richard Attenborough, former deputy prime minister John Prescott and comedienne Dawn French.

More than 88,000 tickets sold in advance of the event, which will see Nobel prize-winning author Toni Morrison, TV presenter Richard Madeley and former London mayor Ken Livingstone take the stage.