BBC denies 'Doctor Who' rivalry rumours

Rex Features

The BBC has dismissed claims that Billie Piper and Catherine Tate are struggling to get along as they film Doctor Who together.

Piper has returned for three episodes of the show's fourth season, which is currently being filmed in Cardiff.

Witnesses who spotted Piper and new companion Tate during a break in filming this week have claimed that there was a frosty silence between the pair.

Onlooker Abigail O'Reilly, 18, said: "It was quite cold but you could see from a distance that Billie and Catherine were ice-cool with each other. Catherine just didn't look happy and Billie was obviously bored. She was yawning a lot."

However, a spokesman for the BBC told the Western Mail: "It's complete rubbish."