'Doctor Who' rumour: MAJOR classic character returning for Christmas special?

Tabloid newspaper The Mirror are today reporting that a major classic series character will appear in this year’s Christmas special.

Written by Steven Moffat, 2017’s festive episode will be the departing showrunner’s swansong and also features Peter Capaldi’s exit from the show.

If the story is true – and it doesn’t sound totally implausible – then it’s a pretty massive spoiler. Scroll down if you want to read on…

Apparently Harry Potter actor David Bradley, who played William Hartnell in 2013’s Doctor Who origins drama An Adventure in Space and Time, will be playing the First Doctor.

The article reports that “Doctor Who will have a unique time travelling companion in the Christmas Special – in the shape of his first incarnation.”

An insider is said to have told the newspaper: “David was convincing as Hartnell, it’s exciting he’s back. Four years ago it took all the previous Doctors to save Gallifrey, so maybe some of the others will also pop up in Capaldi’s swansong. It’s great that the 1st Doctor will be there to help out during those all-important regeneration moments.”

It’s rumoured that Capaldi’s last episode will finally show his involvement in ‘The Day of the Doctor’.

The Twelfth Doctor made his first onscreen appearance in the 50th Anniversary special when “all thirteen!” Doctors joined forces to save Gallifrey.

Could those angry eyes we glimpsed back in November 2013 be looking so irate because he’s about to regenerate? It’s certainly the kind of ‘full circle’ story arc that Steven Moffat is fond of.