David Tennant has "retired" from 'Doctor Who'.

David Tennant in Doctor Who

David Tennant in Doctor Who

The 53-year-old actor made a surprise return for three special episodes as part of the BBC show's 60th anniversary celebrations,as the Fourteenth Doctor, 13 years after he departed the programme as the Tenth Time Lord, but showrunner Russell T. Davies has insisted he won't be coming back again.

He told The Times newspaper: “I think he died. I’m going to start saying that. He went to Venice, 2063, when the city sank, and he went into a whirlpool, which is really sad …

"David is parked and retired and it’s all Ncuti’s show now. Genuinely. Not that David might be coming back — he’s absolutely not coming back.”

With the show returning this weekend with Ncuti Gatwa in the lead role, one episode references the traditional Nativity, and Russell admitted he'd love to incorporate the Christmas story into one of the programme's festive specials.

He said: “Oh my God. Absolutely, that’s the great Christmas special waiting to happen. I know. It’s funny, we’ve talked about it … give us time … We’d do that with a bit of respect and fun.”

David previously admitted there is always a chance he could return to the show again in the future following his brief return, though he insisted he has "no plans" to do so.

Speaking to SFX magazine, he recently said: "I think it would be disingenuous to imagine that I might never be asked again, because history would indicate that it was always a possibility.

"So I’m not going to say never because I don’t think anyone would believe me.

"That doesn’t mean I know that I ever will. But I suppose until I can’t run down a corridor it’s always a possibility. But I promise to have no plans."

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