‘Doctor Who’ Companions Return for Jodie Whittaker’s Final Episode — Watch Trailer (VIDEO)

Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who Finale
BBC/YouTube

Two iconic Doctor Who companions will return to bid farewell to Jodie Whittaker‘s 13th Doctor, who will depart the TARDIS later this year.

As revealed in a trailer (watch below) that followed the show’s Easter special, former companions Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) are set to feature in Whittaker’s final episode. The clip also teased the return of the Doctor’s long-time nemesis, The Master (Sacha Dhawan), and her most fearsome foes, the Daleks and the Cybermen.

Fielding played Tegan on the hit sci-fi series between 1981 and 1984; she was the companion to Tom Baker and Peter Davison’s Doctors. An Australian airline stewardess, Tegan was known for being stubborn, loud, and direct, with a no-nonsense attitude and not afraid to speak her mind. This will mark her first appearance on the show in almost 40 years.

“In some ways, it was a very different experience to what it was like when I finished recording in 1983, but in many ways, it was very similar,” Fielding said in a statement. “It was so lovely to be a working member of the Doctor Who family again.”

Aldred portrayed Ace from 1987 to 1989 alongside Sylvester McCoy’s seventh Doctor. Considered one of the Doctor’s most popular companions, Ace was a troubled teenager who first met the Time Lord after an explosion transported her from her London home to the mysterious Iceworld. She was the final companion in the classic series before Russell T. Davies revived the show in 2005.

“It’s been quite a challenge to have such a big secret to keep, even from my family, and I couldn’t be more thrilled and excited to have been asked back,” said Aldred. “I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I adored being part of the TARDIS team again.”

The feature-length episode is scheduled to air this fall and marks Whittaker’s farewell after three seasons of playing the Doctor. The new Doctor is expected to be announced ahead of the next season, which sees Davies returning as showrunner.

Doctor Who, Seasons 1-12, Streaming, HBO Max