Doctor Who Casts Bridgerton Star In Undisclosed Role

Nicola Coughlan is joining the Doctor Who universe. On Monday, the BBC announced that Coughlan will have a guest-starring role in Doctor Who Season 15, Ncuti Gatwa's second season as the Doctor. Coughlan is known for her roles as Penelope Featherington/Lady Whistledown in Netflix's Bridgerton, Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, and Diplomat Barbie in the Barbie movie (also featuring Gatwa). The BBC is keeping the exact nature of Coughlan's role a secret for now, only teasing that Coughlan is "set to make a big impact when she takes a trip though time and space in this exciting undisclosed role."

Doctor Who Season 15 is filming now. You can get your first look at Coughlan in the series below.

Nicola Coughlan joins Doctor Who

"I'm excited to join the Whoniverse under the leadership of the inimitable Russell T Davies," Coughlan says. "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".

Davies adds, "This has been the most brilliant shoot, with Nicola lighting up the set and bringing joy. From Derry, via Bridgerton, to the Tardis, it's the trip of a lifetime."

When is the Doctor Who Disney+ release date?

The Doctor Who anniversary specials will be the Doctor Who episodes streamed globally on Disney+ as part of a deal between Disney Branded Television and the BBC. The BBC and Disney announced a plan to "transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world" days after Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker's final episode.

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK," Davies said in a statement released alongside the announcement of the Disney+ partnership.

Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer, added, "We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world.  Russell T Davies' vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor's epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve.  Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it's an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world."  

Doctor Who returns in 2023 for its 60th-anniversary specials, followed by the Doctor Who Holiday Special "The Church on Ruby Road," airing on Christmas Day. The special will see Ncuti Gatwa taking over as the Doctor ahead heading into 2024's Season 14, which wrapped filming in July. Doctor Who Season 15, Gatwa's second as the Fifteenth Doctor, began production in October. It's a great time to jump into past seasons of Doctor Who, which are streaming on a different service. You can get caught up with our Doctor Who streaming binge guide. Doctor Who begins streaming on Disney+ on November 25th.