Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa to introduce Christmas special teaser at Children in Need

The BBC has also confirmed an "out of this world treat" for fans as Children in Need launches a very special auction.

The Christmas special will star Gatwa as the Doctor and Derry Girls actress Nicola Coughlan.

Coughlan herself has called her character Joy "a determined woman whose life is changed forever when she meets the Doctor".

A teaser trailer was previously unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, which showed the Doctor zipping around time and space emerging through doorways with a ham and cheese toastie and a pumpkin latte in hand, before he meets Joy in London in 2024.

The teaser showed us various castings, including Peter Benedict as Basil and Julia Watson as Hilda - and confirmed the return of the Silurians, with Sherlock star Jonathan Aris playing a Silurian called Melnak.

Previously speaking about what's coming up at Christmas, showrunner Russell T Davies said: "Now the Doctor voyages forward, and guess what always happens to the Doctor every so often - Christmas! Here comes Christmas.

"I can't give away much more but work has begun on it already, and it's mad, it's one of the maddest Christmas specials you'll ever see. It's epic, it goes to so many different places. And it's a great story of who the Doctor is when he's alone."

Following the Christmas special, Doctor Who will return in spring with Ncuti Gatwa back as the Fifteenth Doctor and Varada Sethu as a new companion.

Children in Need returns to BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm on Friday 15th November 2024. Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Christmas. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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