A lot of fans have been wondering how Shonda Rhimes would make "Grey's Anatomy" season 12 interesting after Dr. Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, was killed off the show.

Katherine Heigl, who was part of the cast of the hospital drama until 2010, said she was equally surprised and devasted by McDreamy's exit. "I just can't imagine the show without McDreamy," Katherine Heigl reportedly told Entertainment Tonight. "It's just so hard to picture."

One of the rumors surrounding "Grey's Anatomy" season 12 is that Katherine Heigl would be returning to the show to stir things up after the death of one of the most beloved characters in the series. When asked whether there's a chance of Dr. Izzy Stevens returning to the show, the actress replied: "There is not, I'm sorry."

Did Katherine Heigl turn down an offer to return to the show because she's not satisfied with its plot twists including the death of Dr. Derek Shepherd? It doesn't seem so. Despite rumors of the actress coming back to the show, it is not even clear whether there was indeed an offer to return in the first place.

Despite this, Katherine Heigl said she's thankful to the show and what it did to her career.

"This 13-year-old girl was telling me this weekend how much she loves Grey's Anatomy, and I was like, do you realize you were a 1-year-old when we started the show? It's been that long since it's been on the air," Heigl recalled. "It changed the course of my life and my career, and I couldn't be more grateful. I just hope it goes for as long as they all want it to."

Aside from Katherine's rumored comeback, there are speculations that "Grey's Anatomy" season 12 would feature a new hot male doctor who could purportedly be a possible love team for the widowed Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo.

"Grey's Anatomy" season 12 will hit TV screens on Sept. 24, according to Bustle.