Catherine Tate, speaking to The Daily Record, says that Billie Piper deserves the credit for Doctor Who's success with girls: "I think Billie is a big part of getting young girls on board as well, because they all kind of idolise the Rose character.

"When I was little I liked Doctor Who but I think boys liked it more. But now it's across the board."

Tate will be playing the Doctor's "rebound companion" Donna in The Runaway Bride this Christmas. The article contains some story information about the Christmas special (taken from the BBC Programme Information press release), so don't click if you want to remain completely unspoiled!

Two years after returning to the BBC as its chairman, Michael Grade has quit the corporation to become executive chairman of rival ITV. The move apparently came as a complete shock to everyone in the TV industry. Despite claims that the BBC are incandescent with his move, the corporation issued a statement wishing him well and describing him as having been "a great chairman".

Grade has often criticised Doctor Who and became infamous in the mid-1980s when the BBC decided to axe the show. His return to the corporation in 2004 coincided with the revival of Doctor Who and, at the time, many feared he’d continue bashing the show. However, apparently, he watches it with his young son and at the end of Series 1 congratulated everyone involved, adding, "I never dreamed I would write this. Must be going soft!"

Celebrity Doctor Who fans are popping up everywhere. In today’s edition of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, presenter Kirsty Young interviewed Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame, the BBC comedy sketch show narrated by Tom Baker. Lucas, who starred opposite David Tennant in Russell T Davies’s 2005 version of Casanova, described how he’d recently bought his partner a TARDIS, which they’d erected in the middle of the living room of their new home!

The BBC Press Office information for radio programming on Christmas Day reveals that BBC Radio 1, the corporation's modern music-orientated station, will host a three-hour Doctor Who special on Christmas Day.

According to the release, presenter Jo Whiley "presents a festive Doctor Who special from the programme's set in Cardiff. She chats to cast and crew and explores the Tardis, battles with Daleks and tries her hand at time travel in this special programme for Christmas Day." The special is scheduled to run from 4-7pm on Monday 25th December. Much of BBC Radio 1's programming is available to listen to live via the station's website, and for the following week as part of the Listen Again feature.

Whiley previously conducted a live interview with Christopher Eccleston on her regular programme as part of the build-up to the new series launch in March 2005. David Tennant was also a guest on her programme in December 2005.

The latest edition of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine (dated 2-8 December 2006) features Doctor Who both in its review of the year's television and in a preview feature for Christmas programming.

The "Review of the Year 2006" feature gives the "Moment of the Year" crown to the final scene between the Doctor and Rose at the end of Doomsday, while also suggesting some humorous possibilities of what the Doctor was cut off from saying to Rose. "We'll always have Cardiff" and "You're such a chav," are two of the magazine's suggestions. The return of the Cybermen in Rise of the Cybermen also makes their top ten moments, at number six.

David Tennant is dubbed the "Hero of the Year", and there is a brief interview in which the actor is asked for his personal highlight of 2006. "It's difficult to say at the moment," is his verdict. "I'm just too close to it. I think I'll be able to tell you in five years' time." Finally, the review of the year feature has a photo of marching Cybermen with the faces of various "evil" television personalities such as Jeremy Paxman, Simon Cowell and Anne Robinson pasted over their heads.

The magazine also begins its build-up to Christmas, with a one-page feature briefly highlighting the top twenty Christmas television programmes. The Runaway Bride is number one in the list, and there are also Doctor Who connections elsewhere - The Wind in the Willows with Mark Gatiss as Rat is number two, with The Ruby in the Smoke, starring Billie Piper, at number twelve.

It is expected that the Radio Times's full Christmas preview issue (covering the week of December 16-22 and on sale Wednesday 6th) will contain major Doctor Who coverage.

Perennial movie and TV website 'Ain't it cool news' has posted an interview with James Strong, Series 2 director of 'The Impossible Planet’ and ‘The Satan Pit.’ In it Strong discusses the issues with working on a SFX heavy set of episodes, and working on 'Who' altogether. Take a look at the interview here.

BBC Director General Mark Thompson offered praise to BBC Wales for setting the example of the type of "sexy and modern" programmes that the various branches should be producing for the network.

Thompson mentions Doctor Who and Torchwood as prime examples of BBC Wales' success. "There's a lot of admiration and a bit of jealousy elsewhere in the BBC because of the success here."

Torchwood in particular, being set fully in modern day Cardiff, was singled out by Thompson for being of particular note. "We wondered whether Wales could be portrayed as modern and forward-looking and Torchwood is the answer. It's obviously Welsh and it's sexy, modern and fantastic."

Thompson also said, "I'm sure we will be seeing more series of both Doctor Who and Torchwood."

Read the full article in ICWales.

There was a special concert held at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff on Sunday 19th November to raise funds for the BBC's annual Children in Need appeal. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and BBC National Chorus of Wales played a selection of the incidental music from the last two series composed by Murray Gold and orchestrated by Ben Foster, as well as previewing Love don't Roam and a four minute clip from The Runaway Bride. Tickets had sold out in hours, but the concert was also broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales.

Numerous Doctor Who stars were also in attendance, including Freema Agyeman, Camille Coduri, Noel Clarke, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardener and Steven Moffatt. Cybermen, Sycorax and Daleks were amongst the assorted monsters who appeared amongst the audience and on stage. Russell T Davies, David Tennant and Murray Gold took part in a question and answer session, revealing that they expectd a Christmas Day broadcast for The Runaway Bride.

The concert has raised over £52,000 for Children in Need so far. Various props were auctioned at the event , while an online auction of the Genesis Ark, a Sycorax helmet, the Doctor's trainers and Rose's New Earth top raised nearly £10,000. Terry Wogan carried out an auction of "money can't buy" prizes on his Radio 2 breakfast show, and the opportunity of a special set tour guided by Russell T Davies raised £25,000.

For those who missed out, the concert will be available via the red button interactive service to digital viewers at some point over Christmas.

Peter Barkworth, who played Clent in The Ice Warriors (1967), has died at the age of 77. Barkworth also played Stephen in the Get Off My Cloud episode of the BBC sci-fi anthology series Out Of The Unknown, which featured the Tardis and a Dalek and aired in 1969.

He was probably most famous for the role of banker Mark Telford in the 1979 BBC serial Telford's Change, which co-starred Hannah Gordon, who played Kirsty inThe Highlanders in 1966/67. Barkworth left RADA the same year as his Ice Warriorsco-star Peter Sallis, who played Penley.

The cause of death was given as bronchopneumonia following a stroke. He died on 21 October in London. The story is reported at BBC News; The Times and The Guardian have obituaries.