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Doctor Who’s long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night much to fans delight.

Actress Ruth Madeley starred in the first episode as new character Shirley Anne Bingham and proved popular with fans on the show.

Ruth – who plays scientific adviser number 56 at UNIT – is a British star known for her role in Years and Years where she worked with returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

She was born with spina bifida and has worked with the charity Whizz-Kidz for much of her life. 

The star, 36, was also nominated for a television BAFTA in 2016 for her work in Don’t Take My Baby and has starred as Ingrid Woodhouse in The Rook.

Exciting: Doctor Who’s long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night much to fans delight – with the new episode starring actress Ruth Madeley

Loving her part: Actress Ruth starred in the first episode as new character Shirley Anne Bingham and proved popular with fans on the show

After the episode aired, she thanked fans for their support writing on Twitter: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your gorgeous comments & messages. 

‘We knew how important Shirley would be to the disabled community & I really hope we did you proud. Stay tuned, gang… #DoctorWho.’

Ruth was born in Westhoughton, near Bolton, in 1987. She studied creative writing and English at Edge Hill University in Lancashire.

From her first role she gained an agent which led to a supporting part in Fresh Meat.

In the meantime she continued to write and in 2012 she wrote and starred in Scrims for Lime Pictures. 

Since then Ruth completed filming for major ITV series The Level in her first non-disability specific role, something she saw as a milestone for the industry’s representation of disabled people.

She said at the time: ‘There’s a long way to go, but I’m very excited to hopefully be a part of that change, where I can be an actress first and a disabled actress second.’ 

The new Doctor Who series has been notably diverse as David Tennant’s Doctor was scolded by a transgender character for calling an alien ‘him’ during the first special. 

Talent: Ruth – who plays scientific adviser number 56 at UNIT – is a British star known for her role in Years and Years where she worked with returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies

Kind: She was born with spina bifida and has worked with the charity Whizz-Kidz for much of her life

Happy: After the episode aired she thanked fans for their support writing on Twitter: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your gorgeous comments & messages’

The character was called out by the daughter of former companion Donna Noble for referring to an adorable fluffy creature called Beep The Meep as ‘him’. 

Rose, who is played by transgender actress, Yasmin Finney, 19, questioned the Doctor’s assumption that the alien was a ‘he’, asking him: ‘You’re assuming he as a pronoun?’

The Doctor, after realising his mistake, then apologised and asked Meep if it was a ‘he or she or they’, to which the creature replied: ‘My chosen pronoun is the definite article. I am always The Meep’. 

Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble.

The pair’s return to the BBC show, in the first of three specials, was lauded by fans, 15 years after they last travelled in the TARDIS together.

It was a reunion that had sparked questions from die-hard fans, after Donna’s memory of The Doctor was wiped in a bid to save her life, in heartbreaking scenes from their last adventure in 2008.

However, showrunner Russell T Davies created an unlikely loophole that reinstated Donna’s memories, allowing her to see The Doctor again after they tackled another alien threat. 

In the episode, fresh from his regeneration, the Doctor accidentally crosses paths with Donna after a spaceship crashes in London.

Desperate to keep away from her, he rushes off to investigate, unaware that a mysterious alien has escaped, and followed Donna and her daughter Rose home.

Rose (played by Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney) attempts to hide the alien, a fluffy creature called Beep The Meep, but Donna soon finds it and the entire family are forced to flee their home from alien military clashing with UNIT officers.

In a bombshell twist, Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes) is revealed to be the true villain, and vows to use their spaceship to wipe out the city. 

Despite the Doctor’s best attempts to hide his identity from Donna, he is forced to give up when they’re trapped in Meep’s exploding spaceship, and his longtime friend unlocks her Doctor Donna alter-ego to destroy the ship.

In heartbreaking scenes, Donna tragically dies in The Doctor’s arms, but a shocking twist reveals that her abilities have been passed onto her daughter Rose.

Not only does Rose rescue her family, but Donna, and all of her memories, are resurrected, bringing one of the show’s most beloved duos back together again.

Despite the Doctor’s concerns that the Time Lord power could overwhelm them both, Donna reassures him that they’ll handle it like any woman – by ‘letting it go.’

The episode ends with the Doctor getting a glimpse of his brand new – and sparkling white – TARDIS, before a blunder from Donna leads to the pair being catapulted into space to a destination unknown.

The first special was universally praised by fans, who lauded that David and Catherine had seamlessly slipped back into their roles after 15 years apart.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one wrote: ‘I had the biggest smile on my face during that entire episode. I missed Donna and the Doctor so much!’.

While a second said: ‘Okay I stayed and am crying at Doctor Donna’.

A third typed: ‘That. Was. WONDERFUL!!! My heart is so warm. I bloody loved every second. Donna Noble and The Doctor are BACK.’ 

Someone else said: ‘Today I feel like i’m a kid again. i haven’t felt this kind of joy since the mandalorian season three finale. the 14th doctor and donna we’re everything i remember and wanted back. allons y!!!’.

And: ‘It was Brilliant to see The Doctor and Donna back together and especially DoctorDonna lol thank you, looking forward to the next two episodes then onward to the 70th’.

With a six writing: #DoctorWho was everything I wanted and more. This new era is gonna be amazing!!!! So nostalgic seeing The Doctor and Donna back together and I loved the story!’.

Viewers will next see The Doctor and Donna land on a mysterious alien planet in the second episode, titled The Wide Blue Yonder.

The specials will then conclude with The Giggle, starring Neil Patrick Harris as the villainous Toymaker, and will lead into Ncuti Gatwa’s debut as The Doctor on Christmas Day.

Speaking in a Q&A ahead of the first special, Russell revealed that he convinced David and Catherine to return after they took part in a Who ‘tweetalong’ during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

He also revealed that Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan has joined the cast, and will appear in the show’s Christmas Special in 2024.

‘I just love David and Catherine together, actually,’ Russell said. ‘And I love that TARDIS. David loved that set so much he thought it’d be absolutely brilliant to run around it like that. After eight takes, not quite so fun. He was worn out by the end.’

Russell added that it was Catherine who suggested she’d like to reprise her role as Donna in an upcoming episode.

Actress: The star, 36, was nominated for a television BAFTA in 2016 for her work in Don’t Take My Baby and has also starred as Ingrid Woodhouse in The Rook (seen in Years and Years)

Fun: Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble

‘Catherine said, ‘Oh, I’ve always loved Donna Noble and wouldn’t it be marvellous to make some more?’ And I went, ”Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,” like that. And then she asked David. She said, ”Would you make some more?” And he said he would, in a heartbeat,’ Russell said.

‘So then she told me that and I genuinely felt honour-bound to go to the BBC and say, ”Look, these two stars have just said they would love to come back.” I knew it was the 60th anniversary coming up. Simple as that.

‘So I just sent off that email about Christmas Eve or something – best Christmas present you ever had!’ 

‘All I got was a reply saying, ”Thank you. We’ll think about it.”

Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary celebrations continue with The Wide Blue Yonder on Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One in the UK, and Disney+ internationally. 

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