It's been more than a decade since Billie Piper made her last appearance as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who - but the actress certainly hasn't ruled out another return.

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Piper, who most recently starred as Newsnight guest booker Sam McAlister in the Netflix Prince Andrew drama Scoop, has opened up about her time on Doctor Who and said she would love to to return.

She told The Independent: "I wouldn’t go back as a full-time thing, but I’d love to make another appearance."

Piper also referenced her co-star Christopher Eccleston, who has spoken negatively about his time on the show in 2005. He has, however, made it clear that he's always loved the character of the Doctor and has since returned to play the Ninth Doctor in Big Finish productions.

Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in Radio Times magazine
Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in Radio Times magazine BBC

Piper said: "I now know that he was having a hard time, but I’m not sure I understood at the time how troubled he was with it all,” she said.

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“I was going through a lot of personal stuff – I think that’s where my focus was. I’m still really close with those guys, and the whole production team really.”

Piper starred as Rose Tyler from 2005, when Russell T Davies rebooted Doctor Who, until her exit in 2006, starring alongside Eccleston and then David Tennant. However, she went on to make appearances in 2008, 2010, and 2013.

Most recently, she revealed that she took a big piece of the TARDIS home with her when she left set. Speaking on the Jonathan Ross Show, Piper revealed she's swiped a fair few items from sets she's been on over the years and Doctor Who is no different.

When asked if she had ever taken anything from set, the actress admitted: "I take things from set. I see things, I take them... Loads of things; rings, costume jewellery. I actually have a whip and some underwear from Secret Diary of a Call Girl."

She added: "I took loads of stuff from the TARDIS, the main central console."

Doctor Who is next set to return this May, with Ncuti Gatwa starring as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as companion Millie Gibson. While another Rose will make their acquaintance, in the form of Yasmin Finney's Rose Noble, maybe one day they'll get to meet Piper's Rose Tyler.

Doctor Who will return on 11th May on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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