David Tennant teases the brain-melting mystery at the heart of his ‘Doctor Who’ return

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor.

The question on everybody’s lips is also firmly on David Tennant’s, with the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who seeing the return of one of his most-loved companions.

Catherine Tate went from comedy to sci-fi in 2008’s fourth season of the Doctor Who reboot, with her character Donna Noble presenting a very real everywoman alongside the Doctor’s vast travels through space and time. Despite helping him save Earth, she was left with a ticking time bomb in her head which threatened to implode if she ever met the Doctor again after a memory wipe.

Now with the news of Tate and Tennant returning for the anniversary, the Scottish actor has teased the consequences of the duo meeting yet again during an interview with the BBC, as Tate makes her first return to the franchise since she left in 2008.

“Of course, there’s a big mystery there. Because she’s, as eagle-eyed viewers will know, when we last left Donna Noble, she could not remember the Doctor’s existence, or her brain would melt. So there’s a bit of an issue there.”

Tennant spoke glowingly of the opportunity to return to the role, with him excited to reunite with Russell T. Davies yet again. Describing it as a no-brainer, it’s fittingly what may happen to Donna should the pair meet again.

“It felt in a way that the pressure was off. But also I knew that Russell T. Davies was in charge. And I love working with him and I love receiving a script with his name on the front. So that just felt like it was a bit of a no-brainer.”

Tennant has been a busy man since he left the role of the Doctor, with his recent roles challenging the typecast. Perhaps the furthest cry from his family-friendly science fiction role came in the miniseries Des, in which he played serial killer and necrophile Dennis Nilsen.

Tate and Tennant will return next year as Doctor Who celebrates 60 years.