In August, just days before the series returned to television screens, a report from the
Sun,
via DoctorWhoTV, stated that the season now airing would be Coleman's last.
When quizzed about his co-star's departure from the show, Peter Capaldi, the current Doctor, said, "Well, I’m not looking for a new assistant. I don’t know where these rumours have started. I’ve read that she may be leaving at Christmas but I don’t even know if she’ll get to Christmas..."
However, the BBC
has now confirmed that the 26-year-old will reach December 25, joining Peter Capaldi for his first
Doctor Who Yuletide special since taking over from Matt Smith last Christmas.
That's not to say, of course, that she won't be bowing out in the Christmas special itself, though.
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Doctor Who companion, Psi, as played by Jonathan Bailey
BBC / Doctor Who
Subsequent to the original report, the
Daily Record claimed that “conversations about Jenna’s exit" had got underway, with Clara set to leave in a “sensational Christmas storyline.”
What is known is
that joining Coleman and Capaldi for the adventure will be Nick Frost (
Paul), Faye Marsay (
Glue), Natalie Gumede (
Coronation Street) and
Michael Troughton (
Breathless). Troughton, a son of the late
Patrick Troughton who played the Second Doctor from 1966 to 1969.
In the meantime,
Doctor Who Season 8 continues this weekend with
Time Heist, by Steve Thompson (
Sherlock) and Steven Moffat.
The adventure sees the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companions — Clara (Jenna Coleman), Psi (Jonathan Bailey) and Saibra (Pippa Bennett-Warner) — trying to rob the Bank of Karabraxos,
described as "the most dangerous bank in the cosmos."
