David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning to Doctor Who

After many rumours and speculation about David Tennant’s return, the BBC has confirmed that the Tenth Doctor and his companion Donna Noble will be returning to Doctor Who.

David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning to the show. The news comes a week after Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the new Doctor (taking over from current Doctor Jodie Whittaker).

It’s been over 12 years since the pair left the show, and the speculation can now begin on how and why they are returning. Ten had to wipe her mind the last time the Doctor and Donna were together because her brain could not cope with the Time Lord energy she had absorbed after touching the Doctor’s regeneration energy. So will Donna remember her adventures through space and time?

According to the BBC, they are set to reunite with screenwriter Russell T Davies to film new scenes that will air in 2023, coinciding with Doctor Who’s 60th-anniversary celebrations.

“The Doctor and Donna parted ways when the Doctor had to wipe Donna’s memory, making her forget him, in order to save her life,” the BBC said in a release. “He left her family with a warning: if ever she remembers, she will die. But with the two coming face to face once more, the big question is, just what brings the Doctor and Donna back together?”

Showrunner Davies said: “It looks impossible – first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on earth is happening?  Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”

There is no indication how Tennant and Tate’s return will impact Gatwa’s arrival – they might appear in a special with him, or maybe they’ll star in an episode before he takes over as the Doctor.

There’s also no word on whether any of this will tie into this autumn’s Doctor Who centenary special, which will mark the departure of the current Doctor Jodie Whittaker and the BBC’s centennial.

Will the Fourteenth Doctor emerge when Thirteen regenerates, or will some timey wimey stuff happen that prevents that? Let the speculation begin!