Doctor Who fans were left gobsmacked last night as Billie Piper, famed for her role as companion Rose Tyler, was "unveiled" as the new Time Lord, sparking a social media meltdown.

Georgia Tennant, wife of David Tennant, who is synonymous with his portrayal of the 10th and 14th Doctors and starred opposite Billie, couldn't hide her thrill at the surprise twist.

Georgia, an actress herself known for playing Jenny in Doctor Who and mother to five children with David, took to Instagram on Saturday (May 31) to share her anticipation before the episode aired, posting "Here we go. Oh yes!"

She later celebrated Billie's debut with a captivating image of the actress clutching a rose, captioned with the hashtag: "Hello mum."

The revelation of Billie Piper stepping into the Doctor's shoes was kept under wraps until the momentous episode, leaving fans ecstatic and flooding online platforms with their reactions.

Many lauded Russell T Davies, the showrunner, for his "epic casting decision".

Fan reactions ranged from shock to excitement, with one viewer exclaiming on X (formerly Twitter): "OMFG just watched the final episode of Doctor Who. Spoiler alert. Billie Piper as the Doctor. WTF."

Another chimed in with: "Billie Piper as the 16th Doctor wasn't what I expected but hey it is something!" reports .

And yet another fan expressed their surprise, commenting: "Billie Piper in Doctor Who. In the year 2025. Not on my bingo cards."

Following the latest episode, Radio 2 star and self-confessed Whovian Rylan Clark couldn't hold back his emotions.

Rylan, who recently appeared on Doctor Who as the host of the Interstellar Song Contest - a cosmic take on the Eurovision Song Contest - expressed his utter joy on Instagram, previously stating: "So I have been keeping that secret for a year. I am so excited. I am a massive, massive Whovian.

"I love Doctor Who. I've loved it for years. And when I got that call I was so overwhelmed and I'm not gonna lie, I did have a little tear. Maybe a few more tears. It was the best experience of my life."

In light of Billie's surprising reveal in Saturday's episode, an emotional Rylan confessed to his followers that his response might be something he'd later "regret".

"I'll probably look back at this with real embarrassment, but I've just watched Doctor Who and I don't know what's just happened. Omg, it's unbelievable. What a turn out," he wrote.

Russell, the esteemed creator of the show, responded to Rylan's touching post with affirming words and a big red heart emoji: "Love you Rylan."

Meanwhile, commenting on her return to the show, Billie said: "It's no secret how much I love this show.

"I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse."

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer