Russell T Davies reveals Doctor Who deleted scene that was a "proper loss" to Rose

Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has revealed that a significant twist was cut from 'Rose', the first episode starring Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor.

Davies made the revelation during a live rewatch and tweetalong of the episode on Thursday night, when he posted on Twitter about how, in the original script, there was an additional scene featuring the Auton version of Mickey (Noel Clarke).

"I always wondered, how Real Mickey got from the bin to the Lair," Davies posted on Thursday evening. "The first draft [of the script] had Auton bin men. Did that bin trundle slowly and secretly across London?! No, warp shunt technology zapped him there."

He continued: "THE LAIR! Big cut from this sequence. They find Mickey… but Rose whispers to him about the anti-plastic, and it turns out he’s Auton Mickey. He tells the Nestene their anti-plastic plan, dissolves, real Mickey tumbles out of a cage."

He added that it had been a "shame" to lose that sequence, "the only proper loss, i think. Now the Nestene just sits there. Hero and villain should always be equals. And their confrontation should have surprises, reversals, tricks".

With online releases and potential further communal rewatches planned for the months of self-isolation ahead, there may be even more behind-the-scenes revelations in store for Doctor Who fans...

Doctor Who returns to BBC One for Revolution of the Daleks in late 2020/early 2021. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide.