Nicola Coughlan is starring in one of the biggest slots in the Christmas TV calendar: the Doctor Who Christmas special. The Derry Girls and Bridgerton star is set to play a character called Joy, who will accompany Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor on his latest adventure.
When Nicola’s casting was first announced, she 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.”
We don’t know a lot about her character yet, only her name and that she meets the Doctor during a time travel-related drama that starts for her in a hotel room. Intriguing.
BBC/James Pardon
In a Christmas 2024 preview video from the BBC, she said in an audio message: “I am thrilled to be joining Doctor Who for the Christmas special this year, and I am so excited for you to meet my character, Joy.”
In the video, we also see Ncuti’s Doctor appear in random points through Earth’s history – offering a ham and cheese toastie and pumpkin spice latte to confused strangers. Eventually, he meets Nicola Coughlan’s Joy in a London hotel in 2024.
In a Children in Need preview, we see the duo encounter a briefcase that the Doctor identifies as having been made by Villengard, an arms manufacturer. Not long after, they are attacked by a dinosaur – so it looks like some serious time travel will be happening on this Christmas special.
James Pardon