Rose Tyler has triumphed in RadioTimes.com’s Companion Champion, a grand tournament of every companion in the history of Doctor Who. The character played by Billie Piper narrowly beat John Barrowman’s pan-sexual Time Agent in the final, after five rounds, and more than 2.3 million votes.

Following a qualifying round, 32 companions, friends and fellow travellers from over 50 years of the show competed in head to head popularity contests. En route to being crowned winner, Rose saw off favourites including Strax the Sontaran, River Song and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Her final bout with Captain Jack attracted more than half a million responses alone, with a late push snatching victory for Tyler by a mere 2,000 votes.

Fans mobilised on social media, with the stars themselves getting involved. John Barrowman’s official Twitter account encouraged his admirers to vote “If you love Captain Jack Harkness as much as I do,” while Piper thanked everyone who voted, saying Rose was “still a very precious character to me.”

Both Rose and Captain Jack accompanied Christopher Eccleston’s version of the Doctor in the relaunched series, before moving on to David Tennant’s era. Captain Jack’s adventures continued in spin-off show Torchwood and a version of Rose reunited with Tennant in last year’s fiftieth anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.

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