Doctor Who has unveiled a first look at Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan in the 2024 Christmas special.
Coughlan plays Penelope Featherington in Netflix's Bridgerton and was also in Derry Girls. She will now join her Barbie co-star Ncuti Gatwa, the new Doctor Who, in the 2024 Christmas special.
It is not known how much she will feature as her role is still undisclosed, while little is known of the plot of the special.
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Speaking about joining Doctor Who, Coughlan said: "I’m excited to join the Whoniverse under the leadership of the inimitable Russell T Davies. I’ve been a fan of Ncuti Gatwa for some time and getting to share the screen with him as the Doctor has been an absolute joy."
Showrunner Russell T Davies himself has said: "This has been the most brilliant shoot, with Nicola lighting up the set and bringing joy. From Derry, via Bridgerton, to the TARDIS, it’s the trip of a lifetime."
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Doctor Who will return later this month with a trio of special episodes, featuring David Tennant as the Doctor again, to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary.
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Gatwa's first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will air over the Christmas period this year, with Millie Gibson as his companion Ruby Sunday. Davies recently likened Gatwa's Doctor to Christopher Eccleston's.
"It was like this in 2004 when we were shooting with Chris and Billie, and people were going, 'What's it going to be like, is it going to be rubbish?' That was the attitude in 2004. And I literally used to sit there going, 'I've got such a good secret, that they're so good'," said Davies.
"Every day I would get rushes of Rose Tyler and the Doctor, thinking, 'Oh my god, I can't wait for people to see this.' And it's exactly like that with Ncuti and Millie, it's literally thrilling."
Doctor Who returns later in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on Max.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Jacob is a freelance writer who specialises in narrative TV and film.
He graduated from the University of Roehampton with an MA in Journalism and has written for several publications since, including Gold Derby, Insider, and Screen Daily.
Jacob has covered major events in the world of film and TV, including numerous BAFTA ceremonies and the Cannes Film Festival, while he's also been an awards expert for several publications, including Korea's Arirang. His particular areas of interest include Star Wars, the MCU, the Oscars, and Hugh Grant.
