David Tennant admits Doctor Who return is 'last shot' at the role

David Tennant has admitted his 'Doctor Who' return is his "last shot" at the iconic role.

The 52-year-old actor has described his upcoming stint in the TARDIS - which will see him reunite with Catherine Tate as his companion Donna Noble as part of the show's 60th anniversary - as a "victory lap" before he becomes too old to play the Time Lord.

He told the Radio Times magazine: "The specifics of coming back to Doctor Who took a bit of wrangling. But we were always receptive to the notion.

"Initially, it was a casual conversation going 'Wouldn't it be fun to do a one-off?' then [showrunner Russell T Davies] was back running the show and suddenly it could be something bigger...

"But there's really no pressure. It's a victory lap, in a way – you get to enjoy something that had meant so much to you, one last shot before you get too old to do it again."

Russell - who was originally at the helm of the BBC's sci-fi favourite when it relaunched in 2005 before leaving four years later - is back in charge with David playing the new 14th Doctor, while 'Sex Education' star Ncuti Gatwa will then take over the TARDIS as the 15th Doctor.

Reflecting on his own return, Russell previously told 'Table Manners' podcast hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware: "It is lovely, I only came back because I had things to do, things I wanted to do and stories I wanted to write.

"It doesn't feel like I am going back as cliche as it sounds, it feels like I am going forward."

He pointed to his own lifelong passion for 'Doctor Who', and he feels fortunate to still be part of its rich history.

He added: "The fact that I have loved that show my entire life and it is my first memory in life, not my first memory of television but my first memory in life... and remember all those years later it becomes the number one show in Britain it's like, how lucky am I? Very, very lucky."