Why RTD Killed Ianto...

When Ianto Jones was killed by a virus during Children of Earth, many fans were angry. Now, Russell T Davies has spoken out about why he killed him off...

Why'd you kill Ianto?

The threat to the world was just so great it simply would have been unlikely if everyone had survived. Torchwood is an adult show. We have killed off leading members of the cast before. Those have always been the stakes. Poor Ianto was defeated by a greater evil, I'm afraid.

So this wasn't something that resulted from Gareth wanting to leave?

No, it was my decision.

Can you confirm that Ianto is, in fact, dead?

I’m afraid so. He’s a wonderful actor. I've worked with him before. I’m a big fan of his and I look forward to watching his career prosper. But death is death in this case. It would devalue the entire plot if we brought him back.

What was Gareth's reaction when you told him you were killing Ianto?

Oh, he’s a lovely, professional man. He completely understood. He’d seen two major characters disappear the year before. It’s a job. It’s a very straightforward process. He loved filming that great big death scene.