It sounds like there’s more heartache to come for Doctor Who companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), in the upcoming 60th anniversary specials. And in turn, heartache for all of Donna’s countless fans!

That warning comes from showrunner, Russell T Davies. On Instagram, the BBC posted:

“Donna Noble’s TARDIS adventures took her all over time and space – what does the future hold?”

And Davies promised:

“Oh. Terrible things.”

Then the sad emoji.

It should come as no surprise: the Doctor’s companions are always put through the wringer — indeed, former showrunner, Steven Moffat, once posited that, as a writer, you’ve got to think of the worst thing that can happen to a companion, and then do it. That’s why we got Donna’s horrible situation in Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead, in which she seemingly died (though was actually transmatted, and her data locked away by CAL) and had to live through a simulated life, falling in love with someone who seemed to be a computer AI, but was, in fact, a real person — not that she ever discovered that.

Of course, Davies also flooded Donna’s brain with a Time Lord persona, and the Doctor had to wipe her memory completely.

It’s fair to say that Donna has gone through more grief than many other companions, and caused the Doctor his fair share of grief too.

So what does the future hold in store? Yes, “terrible things” but let’s hope there’s a light at the end of the tunnel too…