Tom Baker is the new voice of BT

Tom Baker as Dr Who

Actor Tom Baker, who played Dr Who from 1974 to 1980, is to become the voice of BT Text, the service that allows text messages to be sent and received using a home phone.

In a recent poll of celebrity voices, Baker's was voted the fourth most recognisable in the UK, behind The Queen, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, none of whom was thought to be available.

"It's a big responsibility to be Britain's voice of text," said Baker. "What appeals to me most is the thought that I will be bringing good news to people whether it's a cheeky message, a birthday greeting or just a quick hello. Whatever it is, hopefully my voice will bring a smile to people's faces."

It took about five months to produce the audio files for the service, during which Baker spent a total of 11 days recording 11,593 phrases covering every sound in the English language in their different contexts.

The sounds were then broken down into combinations that could be separated and reassembled by computer to make words following the rules of English pronunciation similar to the way children are taught to read. This effectively means that there are no words that the voice cannot produce.

Gavin Patterson, managing director for consumer business at BT Group, said: "As one of our great British icons, Tom Baker appeals across the generations for his role as the fourth Dr Who, more recently as the narrator in Little Britain and as Donald McDonald in Monarch of the Glen."