10 Doctor Who Rumours That Were Actually True
No, this isn't a parallel universe: sometimes, the papers are correct!
As we inch closer to Series 13 of Doctor Who, we're seeing more and more rumours and leaks hit the web. Few properties attract the level of media attention that this one does, and even though the last couple of years has been a divisive time in the Whoniverse, it's always exciting when we're on the eve of a brand-new series.
And with Jodie Whittaker approaching her third year in the starring role, the level of gossip feels way more spicy than usual. David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi all bowed out after their third series (2009 specials notwithstanding), and as such, rumours are flying all over the place about the actress's possible departure.
In fact, there was recently a rumour that Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander will be cast as Whittaker's replacement, but while this was an interesting story to talk about, it was a difficult one to believe, mainly because it originated from tabloid newspaper The Sun - hardly renowned for being a reliable source.
That being said, those tabloid papers and their dubious reports? Sometimes, they're correct. So, with all the speculation surrounding Series 13 (and Whittaker's future in the role), now seems like a good time to consult the history books, digging up some notable Doctor Who rumours that actually turned out to be true.
10. Flying Sharks At Christmas
Doctor Who is a crazy universe where anything can happen. Over the years, we've had talking spiders and sentient balls of fat - so it's not like there's a limit to the madness that can occur!
However, when rumours began to circulate that the 2010 Christmas special would see the Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory do battle with "flying sharks", there was a lot of understandable skepticism. For one thing, the idea sounded utterly ridiculous - even for Doctor Who - and for another, the rumour originated from the notoriously sketchy British tabloid, the Daily Star.
It's always advisable to take tabloid reports with a grain of salt, and that's exactly what many Doctor Who fans did in this particular case. But in a rare, unprecedented twist, it turned out that the rumour was actually correct, with the idea of a flying shark featuring prominently throughout the episode.
Well, technically, the shark doesn't fly - it "swims" through the air, thanks to a combination of dense fog and a tiny electrical current. But let's not rob the Daily Star of its victory over a simple game of semantics, eh?