Doctor Who fans were surprised by the sight of a familiar face as Jodie Whittaker's 13th Time Lord regenerated into David Tennant in the dramatic conclusion of the show’s Sunday night special on BBC One.
It was previously announced that Scottish actor Tennant, who first stepped into the Tardis in 2005 to play the 10th Doctor, would be returning to the sci-fi series for the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations – but it was not revealed in what capacity.
Following Sunday’s 90-minute special, the BBC confirmed Tennant will become the 14th incarnation with Catherine Tate reprising her role as his former companion Donna Noble for three special episodes set to air in November 2023.
Ncuti Gatwa will then take control of the Tardis as the 15th Doctor, with his first episode due to air over the festive period in 2023.
Talking about the future, returning showrunner Russell T Davies, said: "If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way.
"The path to Ncuti’s 15th Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun.
"And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose."
Whittaker’s last venture as the Doctor was loaded with drama as it saw her fight for her existence against some of her deadliest enemies: The Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen.
The episode, titled The Power Of The Doctor, also saw the surprise return of actors who have played Time Lords from the ages including Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy.
