Despite being 20 years old, my favourite Christmas present this year was, without a doubt, my Adipose toy. The Adipose were the first aliens to be featured in Series 4 of Doctor Who, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, in the episode 'Partners in Crime.' Essentially, they are formed from human fat tissue, hence the name; 'adipose tissue' is the correct biological term for body fat.

As soon as I first saw the episode, I thought they would make an incredible product. Much like the Ewoks in Episode VI of Star Wars, the Adipose seemed almost invented to sell merchandise. Cute and cuddly, with little of the creepiness associated with the majority of the monsters in Doctor Who, this toy makes a perfect gift for any Doctor Who fan. As a depiction of the actual creature from the episode, it is relatively accurate; if anything the plush figure is even cuter than its CGI inspiration. This is important to any real fan of the show!

The price tag seems to vary considerably; I personally do not feel that it is worth paying more than £10-15 on this item, partly because it is available more cheaply elsewhere, and also because while the obsessive Whovian will appreciate it as an addition to their inevitably large collection, and young fans of the show will be amused by it, there are other products available that would make a better investment.

However, having said that, if you can find it for the lower end of the price range, this product would make a great gift for a Whovian. There are other alternatives around, for example, I also own an Adipose 'stress toy', which is even better than the Adipose plush and a much cleverer, more novel idea. It's also available for a similar price. Generally though, the plush is an excellent product; not least because the majority of Doctor Who merchandise takes the form of action figures. For smaller children a plush is much safer and more appropriate, as well as meaning that it can be taken to bed or used as a comforting item. This is (unfortunately!) much harder with the Tenth Doctor action figure!