Doctor Who has unveiled a closer look at this year's upcoming Christmas special, Joy to the World, starring Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan.

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In the tense image (above), Coughlan's character Joy can be seen looking scared and confused as she holds onto a suitcase while the Doctor looks equally worried as he points in finger out.

Not much is known about the festive episode beyond the teaser clips and images that have been revealed, and it appears Joy finds herself in a spot of timey wimey trouble when she encounters the Doctor.

While it's not wholly clear why the pair look so worried by the briefcase, a clip released for Children in Need may clear some things up.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy sitting on the floor and looking at something in front of them, concerned.
Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy in Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World. BBC Studios/James Pardon

In the clip, the Doctor begins to scan a briefcase that has been left on the floor, and discovers that it has been made by Villengard, an arms manufacturer that Doctors have encountered before.

As he discusses what the company is, a virtual Q&A system pops up which is then replaced with an avatar of a Silurian... with plenty more action on the way.

The exact plot details beyond the teasers have been kept under lock and eye by the BBC, but the episode's writer Steven Moffat did recently reveal what fans can expect.

Speaking to BBC South East news, Moffat revealed: "Imagine in the far, far future that a hotel chain got hold of the idea of time travel. What's the first thing a hotel chain would do if they had time travel?

"They'd realise they had an opportunity to sell all the unsold nights in their own hotels in history."

Count us as excited!

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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Authors

Katelyn MensahEntertainment and Factual Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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