Features

David Tennant and Catherine Tate talk keeping Doctor Who secrets!

The Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble recall keeping secrets in the latest Doctor Who Magazine.

How do you keep the trip of a lifetime secret from all? David Tennant and Catherine Tate talk all about keeping the secret that they were returning to Doctor Who in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, and you can read an exclusive extract below.

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) is on sale from Thursday 20th July. It is available to order as a subscription, either physical or digital, here.

Read on for an excerpt of DWM's interview with David and Catherine below...

David Tennant and Catherine Tate

David Tennant and Catherine Tate look back to who they told that they were returning to Doctor Who:

“I told my daughter quite early on,” says Catherine.
“Is she good at keeping big secrets, though?” asks David.
“Very very very. And then I realised as I said it… I thought, ‘Oh, I’m not sure I should have given that information to a teenager. To be like, ‘Don’t tell anyone for a year.’ But she didn’t.”
“You don’t want to burden someone with a secret like that, in a way,” considers David. “Because it is a bit toxic when it’s so closely guarded. There were a couple of people who’d obviously got wind of it somehow, who asked me straight out and I just lied to their face. And then last Sunday, whenever the announcement was, I had to do lots of messaging around going, ‘I did lie to your face, I hope you’ll understand, I’m sure you know how it works.’ So there was a bit of that.”


Read more in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who Magazine 593

Highlights of the new issue include:

  • David Tennant and Catherine Tate – the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna ­– talk exclusively to Emily Cook on the set of the forthcoming 60th Anniversary Specials.
  • Snakes Alive! – Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and writer/director Pete McTighe on The Passenger, the new mini-episode of Doctor Who, which sees the return of Tegan and Nyssa.
  • Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies reveals what happened when he made a suggestion for a special piece of set dressing…
  • The DWM 60th Anniversary Poll – the analysis of the results continues, with this issue looking at the rankings of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor’s adventures.
  • Memory Worm ­­­– 1980s script editor Andrew Cartmel puts his knowledge of his Doctor Who career to the test.
  • Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.
  • Texting at Work – Sophie Cowdrey and Aled Griffiths reveal what it’s like to work as graphics assistants on the new series of Doctor Who.
  • The Omega Man ­– a never-before-published interview with the late Richard Gregory, the props builder who redesigned the Cybermen for Earthshock.
  • Liberation of the Daleks Part Ten – the adventures of the Fourteenth Doctor continue in the epic comic-strip adventure written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan.
  • 60 Objects, 60 Years – the latest instalment of the series that tells the story of one object from every year of Doctor Who’s history.
  • The Fact of Fiction unlocks the secrets of the Eleventh Doctor story The Girl Who Waited.
  • Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.
  • Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
  • Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine is on sale from Thursday 20th July. It is available to order as a subscription, either physical or digital, here.

More on Features

Sorry there is no content available for your region.

more from the whoniverse

Explore

Show Info

Explore

Stories

Explore

Play

More From Read and Watch

Jo Martin on her return as the Fugitive Doctor

25 Jun 2026

Doctor Who Magazine discusses all things CIRCUIT BREAKER ahead of Jo Martin's triumphant return...

Circuit Breaker
Features

The Ultimate Guide to a Doctor Who Watch Party

11 Jun 2026

Lock the TARDIS doors, lower the astro-blinds, and fire up the time machine - let’s have a Doctor Who watch party!

Army of Ghosts
Features

An update on the future of Doctor Who

10 Jun 2026

Today we’re announcing an update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.

TARDIS
TV Series

A Brief History of the Eighth Doctor

6 Jun 2026

With Doctor Who: The Movie now available on Blu-ray, here's the story of the Eighth Doctor – from his television appearances to his adventures beyond the screen…

Eighth Doctor
Features

Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill reunite for new River Song audio series

4 Jun 2026

Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill star in 'The Death and Life of River Song: River and Rory', a box set of full-cast audio drama, due for release January 2027.

River and Rory
Product