Actor who played Rose Tyler pops up at a pivotal time for the series as Ncuti Gatwa bows out, creating a vacancy

Nearly two decades since she first appeared on Doctor Who, Billie Piper made a spectacular return to the show on Saturday night, in the latest season’s finale, The Reality War. After just two series, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated into a grinning Piper, who greeted viewers with a “oh Hello!” in the episode’s final scene.

The 42-year-old is best known to Doctor Who fans for playing the Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler for two seasons when the show was reintroduced to TV screens in 2005 after a 16-year break.