There was great excitement among Doctor Who fans when it was announced last year that Catherine Tate was returning as Donna Noble for the upcoming 60th anniversary specials – but it looks like things aren't going to be so rosy for the beloved character.

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That's based on a comment made by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, who wrote on Instagram that "terrible things" are in store for Donna in the future.

Davies made the comment in reply to a post on the official Doctor Who Instagram account which shared some of the character's highlights from her previous stint on the sci-fi show.

The caption on the post read: "Donna Noble's TARDIS adventures took her all over time and space - what does the future hold?" – with Davies's reply directly responding to this query.

"Oh. Terrible things," he teased, alongside a sad face emoji.

Catherine Tate returns to Doctor Who
Catherine Tate as Donna Noble in Doctor Who. BBC

Quite what these terrible things are we'll have to wait and see, but the anniversary trilogy is certainly shaping up to be an epic.

In addition to Tate and David Tennant – who is playing a new incarnation of the Doctor – a number of other former stars are set to appear in the specials, including Jacqueline King, Karl Collins, and the late Bernard Cribbins.

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Last week, the show released a brand new image of Tennant back in action as the Time Lord in honour of the star's 52nd birthday, with the accompanying caption reading: "A new generation... with a familiar face? Find out later this year exactly what... what... WHAT is going on!"

Tennant was revealed as the Fourteenth Doctor in the last Doctor Who special, which saw Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor regenerate into the familiar form of Ten.

He'll be reprising the role for the 60th anniversary specials before Ncuti Gatwa takes over as the next iteration of the Time Lord for a brand new season in 2024.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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