Doctor Who spoilers follow.
Doctor Who has unveiled the first look at Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan in the 2024 Christmas special.
A sneak peek at 'Joy to the World' arrived at Comic-Con on Friday alongside a video introduction from Coughlan for her new character Joy.
"I cannot wait for you to all meet Joy," she told the Comic-Con crowd.
The preview footage flashes between The Doctor at various points in the 20th century as he tries to deliver a ham-and-cheese toastie and a pumpkin latte, but he repeatedly turns up at the wrong room.
In the present day, we meet Joy as she's checking in for a week-long stay at the Sandringham Hotel in London. Joy is determined not to be lonely during the holidays — but she isn't expecting a Silurian to suddenly barge through a locked door in her room.
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Joy faces down the Silurian with a hairdryer before The Doctor arrives with a toastie and latte once again, having finally found the right room. But what has brought these three together?
The Derry Girls star's guest appearance in the 2024 Christmas special was announced back in November 2023, with former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat confirming he was back to write the episode.
Moffat subsequently promised Doctor Who fans that Coughlan had delivered an unforgettable performance opposite Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor.
"Nicola is wonderful in it. She will break your heart," the writer told Ireland AM. "I'm not allowed to say anything about it. At least I think I'm not allowed to say anything about it so I'll just shut up."
Coughlan has said she greatly enjoyed working on Doctor Who, especially as it gave her a chance to reunite with Barbie co-star Gatwa.
"[Ncuti Gatwa] is incredible in the role... It was very fun," she told The One Show in March. "I think it was meant to be a secret that it was Christmas, but then Russell told everyone."
Beyond Christmas, Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson are gearing up for season 15 where they will be joined by Varada Sethu as an additional companion.
Also during Doctor Who's Comic-Con panel, it was announced that Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star in the spinoff miniseries The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
