It has today been confirmed that Jenna Coleman will leave her role as The Doctor’s assistant, Clara Oswald before the end of the new Doctor Who season. Coleman first entered the TARDIS alongside Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor in a 2012 episode titled Asylum Of The Daleks. Rumours of her exit had surfaced before last year’s Christmas special, but this time the announcement has come from the actress herself.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1 in the UK on Friday, Coleman explained she had “left the TARDIS,” adding that she had already filmed the last of her scenes for the show. No further information was given as to how this would come about, though Coleman did explain that the writers had “worked out a really good story arc” for the exit.
Clara became an immensely popular companion for the Doctor in series seven of the rebooted show, leading to her taking a much larger role alongside Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor in his first appearances last year. Just how the series will progress without Clara remains to be seen, although reports have already confirmed that Alex Kingston will be reprising her role as River Song beside Capaldi for the first time.
The rumour mill will undoubtedly shoot into overdrive with the two announcements, and many may suggest that River Song could officially become the Doctor’s assistant for the first time.
Doctor Who season eight, meanwhile, begins this weekend.
