10 Doctor Who Rumours That Were Actually True

Because of its proximity to the 50th anniversary special, its juicy title, and the fact that it was the big finale of Series 7, the level of hype surrounding The Name Of The Doctor was much higher than the normal standard.

With hindsight, it seems silly to even say this, but back then, a good number of Doctor Who fans (this writer included) genuinely believed that Steven Moffat was going to tell us what the Doctor's real name was. After all, the episode was literally called "The Name Of The Doctor" - so what else could that title mean?

At the same time, several sources - mainly tabloid newspapers - were playing party pooper by reporting that, no, we won't learn that the Doctor is actually called Sean or Will, and that the Time Lord's real name will be kept in the dark.

Obviously there was no way to tell if that rumour was accurate, but when the episode finally arrived, the truth was revealed - and it was another victory for the tabloids.

While River Song does speak the Doctor's name in order to access his grave, us viewers don't hear what she says, and the question of "Doctor who?" continues to this day.