David Tennant explained to BBC News how his on-screen reunion with Catherine Tate in conjunction with Russell T Davies return as Doctor Who showrunner came about.

Tenth Doctor actor Tennant (2005-2010), Tate, who played companion Donna Noble and Davies, who was the showrunner for Doctor Who between 2005 and 2009, got involved in Doctor Who: Lockdown, a worldwide series of “watch-alongs” of previous episodes organized by Doctor Who Magazine’s Emily Cook to help fans pass the time during the pandemic. Fans would communicate on Twitter using a hashtag specific to each episode while watching.

“It all slightly happened a little bit by accident when everyone was locked in their house,” Tennant explained to BBC News. “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. I don’t tweet but my wife helped me,” he  laughed.

After one of the watch-alongs the two actors and former showrunner continued communicating with each other.

“[We] were just having a text exchange and Catherine said, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to do it again?’ Russell said, ‘We could do a one off, maybe they’d let us’. We said, ‘yeah that would be a laugh,’ and then it all went quiet.”

When it was announced last year that Davies was back as Doctor Who showrunner, Tennant and Tate received a surprising and irresistible offer.

“Suddenly Russell let us know that he was taking over the show again and he would be back fully in charge and would we come and play a little bit for him? So I don’t know if we gave him the idea to take Doctor Who back but certainly we thought if he’s doing it, we can’t let these young people have all the fun.”

One of the young people Tennant is referring to is Ncuti Gatwa, who is expected to commence filming Doctor Who in November as the new Doctor for the fourteenth series of the programme.

“[I’m] a little bit jealous [of him] starting on this exciting journey,” Tennant said of Gatwa to BBC News. “Ncuti is brilliant. He’s a lovely, lovely man and he’s full of beans and he’s really talented. I mean he’s like scary-talented. So I’m thrilled for every Doctor Who fan for what’s to come and I include myself in that number.”

With Russel T Davies in charge, David Tennant and Catherine Tate will reprise their roles and the Doctor and Donna for three Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials to air in 2023. Ncuti Gatwa will play the Doctor for the next series to air in 2024.