David Tennant has reflected on his time in Doctor Who , remembering the immense pressure of taking on such an iconic role. The actor made his full debut as the Tenth Doctor during the show’s Christmas Special in 2005, which centred on the invasion of an alien race - the Sycorax. “You’re in everyone’s living room on Christmas Day… There was a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny,” David explained on a festive edition of The Whoniverse Show . “But also how joyous to be in the middle.” The 2005 Christmas special was the first in a new annual tradition, introduced as part of Doctor Who’s revival with Russell T Davies behind the wheel. David also spoke about how natural it felt becoming the Time Lord thanks to being such a fan of the show and having a shared history with Russell, who he also worked with on comedy drama series Casanova. “People are always like, ‘Oh, how did you decide how your Doctor was going to be, how you were going to talk? Did you and Russell have long conversations? Did you sit up all night discussing the ins and outs of character choices?’” he said. “And we absolutely didn’t at all. It just made sense. It didn’t feel like there were conversations to be had.” David went on to explain that both he and Russell had spent their lives watching Doctor Who. “I felt like I absolutely understood how he’d written it,” David said. “When they’re written that well, you just need to say the words. So it was not something that ever felt mysterious to me.” Russell left Doctor Who in 2010 but returned to the franchise in 2023, which coincided with the show’s 60th anniversary. David also made a comeback, portraying the Fourteenth Doctor alongside his former companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate , in a handful of specials. Most recently, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa picked the baton to play the Fifteenth Doctor. He announced he was leaving the franchise after two seasons earlier this year, with his character appearing to regenerate into a new Time Lord played by Billie Piper . Related... Bafta Announces New Host For Next Year's Awards Show, Replacing David Tennant 'I Had My Eye On It': David Tennant Was Disappointed To Miss Out On This Superhero Role David Tennant Shares The Very Sweet Story Behind His First Ever Tattoo