Doctor Who star David Tennant admits he had concerns about "awkward" comeback

"It was joyous and great fun."

By Iona Rowan

8 Dec 2022

Doctor Who star David Tennant has admitted he was initially worried it would be "awkward" reprising his role as the titular Time Lord.

In the episode marking Jodie Whittaker's final outing as the Doctor in October, a regeneration twist revealed Tennant as the not-so-new fourteenth Doctor – a role he'll continue to portray in next year's 60th anniversary specials before Ncuti Gatwa takes up the mantle.

Speaking of his return on This Morning with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Tennant shared: "It was like being handed a very lovely present! It was joyous and great fun – it was a happy joyous time fifteen years ago – and returning to that could have been awkward or felt difficult."

doctor who, david tennant as the fourteenth doctor

BBC

The actor continued: "I might not have been able to run as fast, but we had a lovely time. Russel T Davies was back running the show and it felt like I'd never been away!"

While he's happy to be back in the role, Tennant previously admitted how his return was an "accident".

It turns out informal chats turned into a serious proposition after he participated in several online watchalongs of Doctor Who with Davies and his former co-star Catherine Tate during lockdown.

doctor who's david tennant in the tardis

BBCBBC

"That's where this all started," he said. "At a certain time and day everyone would press play on a certain episode and some of the people who had been involved in those episodes were tweeting along.

"Me and Catherine would text: 'Wouldn't it be fun to do it again?' And Russell would say: 'We could do a one off, maybe they'd let us.'"

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 & ITVX. Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.