Nicola Coughlan Will Guest Star In Next Year’s 'Doctor Who' Christmas Special

Showrunner Russell T. Davies confirmed it at a screening of 'The Star Beast'

It’s been a merry time for the Derry Girl. Returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies revealed that Derry Girls and Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan will be guest starring on the long-running sci-fi series.

This actually came as confirmation to filming photos and videos that began circulating at the very end of October of Coughlan working on her episode. Davies was asked at a Q&A Monday, after a press screening of the show’s first 60th anniversary special “The Star Beast” whether he could reveal any guest stars in the next series, presumably referring to series 14. Knowing how many announced guest stars he’s already made official public statements for as coverage has demonstrated, he jumped a bit. In revealing Coughlan, he remarked that she will be not in this year’s but next year’s Christmas special, as her red and green garb drew to easy conclusion. “Nicola Coughlan at Christmas — not this Christmas, next Christmas,” Davies said. “We’re shooting Christmas 2024 now.”

This year’s Christmas special meanwhile actually had its title revealed the same day, but not by him or any crew that might’ve been at the screening, but by a Disney+ Season’s Streamings guide. It’s called “The Church On Ruby Road”, and is the first adventure for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, and where he will meet his companion, Ruby Sunday played by Millie Gibson. And at the very least he is staying on to a second series, which means there will be/is a reunion between costars Artist Ken and Diplomat Barbie happening. “The Star Beast” is scheduled to air on November 25 and will be followed by two more 60th anniversary specials, “Wild Blue Yonder” and “The Giggle” the subsequent Saturdays, where at the end of the latter the Fourteenth Doctor, played by David Tennant, is expected to regenerate into Gatwa’s Fifteen.

There has never been a Doctor Who Christmas special that didn’t air directly on Christmas Day, and even Disney+, the series’s new international home while it domestically remains on the BBC, is sticking to it, so expect the same next year. During the Q&A, Davies gushed about the “thrilling” work he’s been doing with his new leads: “That Christmas Day episode is gorgeous, it’s absolutely gorgeous. When you cast great actors, the pressure is to live up to them, is to give them stuff that they love. And also stuff that will push them every day.” For at least series 14 specifically, he remarked “What is coming up — some of the stories we’ve never done before, the style of which we’ve never done before — we’re doing brand new things on screen…you write this stuff because they’re so good. And they meet that challenge every time. I am literally so excited to show it.”

Source: Variety