Say it ain’t so Clara!
The latest companion for the Doctor in Doctor Who is leaving the show in order to join another BBC drama, according to The Daily Mirror. Actress Jenna Coleman has signed a deal to star as Queen Victoria in an eight-part miniseries, forcing her to give up her role as the companion to Peter Capaldi’s Doctor on the show.
Coleman joined the show two seasons ago alongside Matt Smith and carried over with the new doctor, played by Capaldi, for the eighth and ninth seasons. She is the longest serving companion since the show rebooted in 2005.
“You’re in Doctor Who knowing it will never last,” said Coleman in a recent Radio Times interview. “It’s constantly regenerating, so you want to make your time count and enjoy the adventure for the fleeting time you’re here.”
Peter Capaldi spoke to Radio Times about Coleman saying, “I was so lucky it was Jenna because it might not have worked with anyone else. It’s tricky to come into a long-established show, especially as the lead, and Jenna has proved to be a wonderful actress and friend.”
Coleman will play Clara Oswald for the ninth season and will leave by the end. The specific episode she is leaving on is not said yet.