Rarely a week goes by without some David Tennant-related news, and that’s always a good thing. Rarely has an actor been so loved by the British public… but boy, he’s certainly cashing in with this latest project…

Following in the footsteps (but at a slower pace) of champion sprinter Usain Bolt, David Tennant is appearing Virgin Media’s latest TV ad campaign alongside bearded ex-hippie spacefarer (Sir) Richard Branson.

During this Saturday night’s Britain’s Got Talent, the Tenth Doctor actor will be seen “conquering time travel” as he browses his  own back catalogue using Virgin’s TiVo service (the progenitor of Sky+), as billionaire industrialist Richard Branson (who as far as we know doesn’t own a metal flying suit) makes “a time travel discovery of his very own”.

If this sounds bonkers, wait until you see the subsequent advert, in which the unlikely pair are shown in a “meditative” scene with Branson performing a calming whale song . Using Virgin Media’s Collections service, the idea is that customers need never miss their favourite shows.

Richard Larcombe, for his sins, is Virgin Media’s director of advertising and sponsorship:

“Building on the huge success of our recent TiVo campaign and Usain Bolt and Richard in our superfast broadband ads, the new Collections creative brings together the best of both in a fully integrated offering.

“The new work uses the superiority of our products to deliver on value, simplicity and choice, all signed and sealed with a Virgin sense of humour.”

You can catch it on Saturday evening, if you’re so inclined…