Who was Bernard Cribbins? ‘Doctor Who’ 60th anniversary special dedication, explained

Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary is undoubtedly a joyous occasion, what with David Tennant and Catherine Tate back in the TARDIS and the brand spanking new era of Ncuti Gatwa on the horizon. And yet the show’s three-part diamond birthday bash also has a heartbreaking element to it too.

The trilogy of specials which feature Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Tate as his best friend Donna Noble co-stars numerous familiar faces from the 2005-2010 era of Doctor Who, and that includes Bernard Cribbins, an icon of the Whoniverse if there ever was once. Unfortunately, Cribbins passed away in 2022, with special 2, “Wild Blue Yonder,” dedicated to his memory.

Bernard Cribbins is memorialized in Doctor Who‘s second 60th anniversary special

Bernard Cribbins will be remembered by Doctor Who fans for the rest of time thanks to his universally adored performance as Wilfred Mott, Donna’s UFO-spotting grandfather. Cribbins, a British institution whose career on film and TV screens reaches back to the 1950s, originally cameoed in the 2007 Christmas special “Voyage of the Damned.” So popular was he, however, that his character was invited back and fleshed out in 2008’s “Partners in Crime” onward. Despite being the reason Tennant’s Tenth Doctor died in 2010’s “The End of Time,” the big-hearted former World War Two soldier has always been held firmly in Whovians’ hearts.

That’s why his return in “Wild Blue Yonder” is so poignant and bittersweet. Wilf appears in the second special’s final scene, in which he has a tear-jerking reunion with the Doctor and Donna. This scene was filmed in May 2022, with a bigger role for Wilf planned for the third and final special. Unfortunately, Cribbins was unable to commit due to his ill health and he ultimately passed away in July 2022 from natural causes. He was 93 years old.

It’s only fitting, then, that “Wild Blue Yonder” ends with a touching dedication to the much-missed actor. “In loving memory of Bernard Cribbins, 1928-2022,” reads a memorial message at the conclusion of the episode’s credits.

Considering Cribbins’ connection to Doctor Who goes almost all the way back — he appeared in the non-canon theatrically released film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150AD in 1966 — it’s incredibly meaningful that he made one last appearance as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. RIP Bernard Cribbins, a true Doctor Who diamond.