The BBC announced earlier this week that former Emmerdale Farm actress Jenna-Louise Coleman is to play Doctor Who’s new assistant when Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, leaves the hit BBC sci-fi drama later this year.
The sexy 25-year-old brunette said: “I’m beyond excited, I can’t wait to get cracking; working alongside Matt, who I know is going to be enormous fun and a huge adventure.”
She impressed the show’s boss Steven Moffat with her screen test and chemistry with star Matt Smith, and he promised fans that Coleman was fantastic in auditions, which got her the part.
He said: “We saw a lot of brilliant actresses. But Jenna was the only person going faster than Matt — he had to keep up!
“It always seems impossible when you start casting these parts, but when we saw Matt and Jenna together, we knew we had our girl. She’s funny, clever, and exactly mad enough to step on board the TARDIS.
“It’s not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it’s about to happen.”
Moffat did not reveal the name of Coleman’s character and teased fans that how she meets the Doctor “…are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters…Even by the Doctor’s standards, this isn’t your usual boy meets girl.”
He also teased that: “Jenna is going to lead him [the Doctor] his merriest dance yet.”
Jenna-Louise will first be seen on screens at Christmas.
Moffat also confirmed that Doctor Who would air six episodes in 2012 and a further eight in 2013 for the show’s 50th anniversary. Ooh, it all sounds very exciting… I cannot wait!
