Doctor Who fans surprised by Jodie Whittaker's regeneration twist

Virgin Radio

24 Oct 2022, 07:20

Jodie Whittaker's regeneration in Doctor Who.

Credit: BBC

Doctor Who was back on our screens last night, for the hotly-anticipated episode which saw Jodie Whittaker make her final appearance as the Time Lord. And her regeneration caused quite a shock for viewers, as it heralded the unexpected return of an old favourite.

There are massive spoilers ahead if you haven’t caught up with The Power of the Doctor yet, which aired last night (23rd October).

In the latest episode of the long-running sci-fi show, the Doctor battled Cybermen and Daleks as the Master (Sacha Dhawan) attempted to force the Doctor to regenerate into him.

During the episode, Whittaker’s character found herself in a limbo world where she was confronted with former incarnations of the Doctor who offered her advice. These included Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy.

After she was injured by the Master, the Doctor regenerated, and while some fans expected to see Ncuti Gatwa, it was actually... David Tennant’s version of the Time Lord that appeared!

Tennant previously played the 10th incarnation of the Doctor between 2005 and 2010, and the BBC has confirmed that he has officially returned as the 14th Doctor.

The Scottish actor will play the Doctor for three episodes, which are set to air in November 2023.

Speaking to BBC News, Tennant said: “What a lovely, lovely thing to get to revisit something that was such a wonderful, happy, significant time in my life.”

Catherine Tate, who played former companion Donna Noble, will also be returning.

Outgoing showrunner, Chris Chibnall, will now be replaced by It’s a Sin creator, Russell T Davies, who previously led the revival of Doctor Who from 2005 to 2009.

After these three 60th-anniversary specials, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will then finally get to take over as the 15th Doctor. His first episode is due to air over the festive period in 2023.

Exciting times ahead for Doctor Who fans!

The Power of the Doctor is available on BBC iPlayer.