Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has fans wondering whether his recent emoji tease on Instagram signals the return of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and Karen Gillan as Amy Pond.

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The BBC's official Doctor Who Instagram posted a video promoting the second of this year's 60th anniversary specials featuring David Tennant – who will now play the Fourteenth Doctor alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble – titled Wild Blue Yonder.

Along with the clip, Doctor Who added the caption: "What else is awaiting the Doctor and Donna?"

Commenting underneath, Davies shared a string of emojis including an apple, which fans have suggested could be a reference to Amy.

Davies wrote: "Oh my God, that’s [bell emoji] and then they [apple emoji] and [clock emoji] until [explosion emoji] [fire emoji] [lightning emoji] [penguin emoji]."

Following the Eleventh Doctor's regeneration, he thought he wanted an apple but, upon being given one, found that he didn't like them.

Amy Pond also disliked apples when she was young, until her mother began carving smiley faces into them.

Pond then gave an apple with a carved smiley face on it to the Doctor, who promised to keep it for later. After travelling forward 12 years, the Doctor was able to prove his identity to the now-grown Amy Pond by showing her the same apple, still fresh.

Some fans thought the 12 o'clock emoji could signify Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor return.

The beloved BBC sci-fi celebrates its 60th anniversary later this year, which sees various legends return for three special episodes, and welcomes a new Doctor into the fold.

Meanwhile, Bernard Cribbins was spotted on the set of the series reprising his beloved role as Donna's grandfather, Wilfred Mott, shortly before the sad news of his death at the age of 93.

Fans have also seen Jacqueline King filming as Donna's mother Sylvia Noble and Karl Collins as Donna's husband Shaun Temple.

It's a Sin star Neil Patrick Harris will reunite with Davies to play a mysterious antagonistic role in the specials. Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney will be joining the series as Rose.

The date of the 60th anniversary falls on 23rd November 2023. After this, the first official instalment of Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor is expected to be released over the festive period of 2023/2024.

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.

For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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