Doctor Who fans were a ball of emotion as the late Bernard Cribbins appeared in the latest 60th anniversary episode (Picture: BBC)(Picture: BBC)
Doctor Who’s second special 60th anniversary episode left fans in floods of tears as the late Bernard Cribbins made a surprise appearance following his death in July 2022.
Wild Blue Yonder saw the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) trapped on a spaceship at the edge of the universe – and they weren’t alone.
The thrilling set-up had plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments, but it was when the pair made it safely back to earth that emotions at home really began running high.
Cribbins plays Donna’s grandfather, Wilfred Mott, in the series, and filmed his final scenes for the show just weeks before his death at the age of 93.
While it was known Cribbins would have a role in the special episodes, fans weren’t expecting to see the beloved character right at the end of episode two, and viewers shared their reactions on Twitter (X) as the show came to an end.
And, naturally, there were tears.
Viewers were in bits to see Cribbins’ character reunite with David Tennant and Catherine Tate (Picture: BBC)
Viewers were in bits as the Doctor embraced Wilf (Picture: BBC)
David, Catherine and Cribbins all returned for the special anniversary episodes (Picture: BBC)
‘Man, I’m gonna cry… RIP Bernard Cribbins,’ one person wrote, with another admitting ‘I wasn’t at all prepared for that ending,’ with the iconic gif of Cribbins’ character holding back tears from a previous episode of Doctor Who.
‘The way I legit BURST INTO TEARS when Bernard Cribbins appeared,’ another viewer wept.
‘I’m in absolute bits at the end of Wild Blue Yonder,’ one said, another agreeing they were ‘all kinds of emotional seeing Wilfred again.’
And as another put it simply: ‘I am SOBBING.’
The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Wilfred revealing to Donna and The Doctor that the world was going mad – and fans will know the anniversary episodes finale is set to air next week, starring Neil Patrick Harris as the ultimate villain, The Toymaker.
And as the credits rolled, it offered a poignant tribute to the legendary actor, with the words ‘In loving memory of Bernard Cribbins, 1928 – 2022.’
The legendary actor died in July 2022, months after his wife Gillian (Picture: Getty Images Europe)
Cribbins died in July 2022, months after the death of Gillian, his wife of 66 years.
Tributes poured in around the world for the actor, including from Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
‘Bernard Cribbins (1928-2022) I love this man. I love him,’ he wrote.
‘He loved being in Doctor Who. He said, ‘Children are calling me grandad in the street!’ His first day was on location with Kylie Minogue, but all eyes, even Kylie’s, were on Bernard. He’d turned up with a suitcase full of props, just in case, including a rubber chicken.’
After decades on screen and stage, Cribbins found a whole generation of new fans with his role in Doctor Who.
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The legendary actor died in 2022, not long after filming the final scenes.