Doctor Who Star Catherine Tate Addresses Donna Noble Return Rumors
Catherine Tate, who played companion Donna Noble in Doctor Who, breaks her silence on whether she will be returning for the show's 60th anniversary.
Former Doctor Who companion Catherine Tate has addressed the rumors as to whether her character, Donna Noble, will return for the show's 60th anniversary next year. Tate first appeared in the BBC's long-running science fiction series as a guest star in the 2006 Christmas Special "The Runaway Bride," which saw her fending-off against the spider-like Empress of the Racnoss alongside the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). However, Donna's sassy, morally-stubborn personality ensured that she quickly became a fan-favorite, and the character returned as a full-time companion to the Doctor throughout season 4 of the rebooted show.
Despite aiding the Doctor in his battle against numerous monsters and villains, Donna was forced to leave the TARDIS during the Doctor Who season 4 finale. After helping to defeat Davros using knowledge gained from the Doctor, the Time Lord had to sadly wipe her memory of all their adventures together in order to prevent her mind from collapsing due to the intensity of the information she acquired. Tate reprised the role again as a guest star for the two-part Doctor Who special, "The End of Time," and has continued to play Donna in several audio dramas, but has not appeared as the character on-screen for over 12 years. However, with Doctor Who's 60th anniversary coming up next year, an event often celebrated with Doctors and companions from the show's past returning in guest appearances, rumors have been circulating as to whether Donna will be among those being brought back.
Now, Tate has finally broken her silence on whether she is returning to Doctor Who. While no one appears to have contacted the actor regarding a special guest appearance yet, Tate seems more than willing to take part. Speaking on The One Show, (via Digital Spy), Tate confirmed that "no one's been in touch," but went on to make her case that she would not say no if Donna Noble was asked to return. Looking right into the camera, as if appealing to the producers directly, she jokingly emphasised her availability. Check out Tate's full quote below:
"What can I tell you? No, I wish it was [true]. Well, no one's been in touch. But I'm on the same number, I'd just like to say. So, if you've got the money, I've got the time."
Tate's Donna returning to Doctor Who would by no means be out of place for the sci-fi series. The Doctor Who 50th anniversary featured various former stars, most notably Tennant and Billie Piper (albeit as a slightly different character). A short prequel to the special also saw Paul McGann returning to his role as the Eighth Doctor after 17 years. Given that the 60th anniversary will be overseen by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, who originally created the character of Donna Noble, rumors of Tate returning have recently become more enthusiastic, especially given the additional whispers that Tennant may also reprise his Time Lord role once again. However, outside of Davies' involvement, there has so far been no further confirmed information regarding next year's anniversary special.
Although for many devotees of Doctor Who this news may come as a disappointment, especially for those who grew up with Donna as a companion, this likely won't entirely dissuade fans from hoping for a guest appearance by Tate. With the star having publicly announced her keenness to return and the 60th anniversary special being helmed by the man who created her character, many fans might feel that the possibility of Donna's comeback is now more likely than ever. But with Doctor Who 60th anniversary almost certainly airing on November 23, 2023, audiences still have a while to wait before finding out if Donna will encounter the Doctor again.
Source: Digital Spy