Jenna Coleman became a household name in the UK when she joined ITV soap Emmerdale in 2005. During her four years as well-loved character Jasmine Thomas, she enjoyed some huge storylines before leaving to spread her wings. 

After leaving the soap Jenna went on to appear in Waterloo Road, Titanic, and Room at the Top before landing the role of Clara Oswald in Doctor Who. Since then she has landed some huge TV roles including playing Joanna Lyndsay in The Cry, Queen Victoria in ITV period drama Victoria, Marie Andree Leclerc in The Serpent and most recently starring in TV thrillers Wilderness and The Jetty.

She turned down a place at university to be in Emmerdale

Jenna was offered a place to study English at the University of York but turned it down to join the cast of Emmerdale in 2005, where she learned her trade by working hard and proving she has got what it takes to be a successful actress. Unbelievably Jenna didn't get into drama school when she applied - however, she soon proved them wrong with with her now hugely impressive acting CV.  

She was once rumoured to be dating Prince Harry

Jenna got tongues wagging back in 2015 when she was spotted looking friendly with Prince Harry at a polo match. Of course, the nation got itself into a frenzy, however it turns out the pair are just good friends. 

She was buying avocados when she heard she'd got the Doctor Who job

Jenna has often been quoted declaring her love for avocados, but it turns out they are also part of a very important moment in her life. She was apparently shopping for her favourite food when she got the call from her agent revealing that she had landed the role as the next Doctor Who companion. 

She stole a very impressive memento when she left Doctor Who

Not wanting to forget her time spent as the time traveling Doctor's companion, Jenna managed to sneak out lots of souvenirs from the set. During an appearance on The Johnathan Ross Show she admitted: "I stole quite a lot actually. I stole a bit of the TARDIS but somebody helped me from the props department. I took a proper Gallifreyan full-on piece under my jumper, but it was in conjunction with the props team, they gave me the wink. I've also got the neon sign of the police box sign in my dining room and it lights up."

She had to fight off stiff competition for her role in Victoria

While Jenna was clearly made for the title role in Victoria and it is hard to imagine anyone else playing the historical figure, there were some other very fine actresses on the shortlist when casting was being made. Lily James, Cara Delevingne, Emilia Clarke and Chloe Moretz were all in the running, but Jenna pipped them to the post. 

She changed her name after leaving Emmerdale 

When Jenna was first thrown into the limelight after joining Emmerdale, she went by her full name, Jenna-Louise Coleman. However, the actress said that she found it odd when she became more well-known and strangers would call her by her full name. She dropped the Louise part and is now called Jenna Coleman. Apparently, it is only her mum who still calls her Jenna Louise! 

She has a hilarious most embarrassing moment

When asked what her most embarrassing moment was during an interview with The Guardian, Jenna revealed happened when buying a sandwich at Leeds train station: "The man said to me: 'Do you want to go for a drink?' and I said, "I am so sorry, but I have got a boyfriend.' and he replied, 'No, it's a meal deal, if you take a sandwich you can get a drink as well.'"

Jenna Coleman's Fact File 

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the star...

Twitter: @Jenna_Coleman_

Instagram: @jenna_coleman_

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.

Fans react to the Doctor Who Christmas special, Twice Upon A Time

Jenna Coleman was heralded as she returned to Doctor Who on Christmas Day.

The actress’s Clara Oswald, assistant to both the Eleventh and Twelfth Time Lord, appeared in a memory during the festive episode.

She told Peter Capaldi’s Doctor: “Hello you stupid old man … don’t go forgetting me again, because, quite frankly, that was offensive,” moments before he was regenerated.

The emotional episode also featured appearances from Mark Gatiss, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas and David Bradley as the First Doctor.

Viewers were delighted to see Coleman’s Clara return – with one fan saying she had 'saved Christmas'...

Coleman's surprise appearance came as Jodie Whittaker made her debut.

The actress embarked on her Doctor Who journey with a bang as she fell from the Tardis moments after transforming into the Time Lord.

As Peter Capaldi’s Doctor regenerated in the show’s Christmas Day special, the first ever female to take the role uttered her first lines and was warmly welcomed by fans.

In the actress’s native Yorkshire accent, Whittaker's Time Lord said, “Ahh brilliant” as she got her first glance of the Tardis controls.

The time travelling vehicle then span out of control with the Thirteenth doctor falling through its open doors into space.

The first sight of Whittaker in the sci-fi show excited fans on social media, with fans hailing her 'stunning' entrance whilst also bidding farewell to Capaldi...

Capaldi’s last words as the Time Lord included the line: “Never be cruel, never be cowardly … Remember hate is always foolish, and love is always wise.”

The emotional instalment also featured David Bradley as the first ever Doctor, the Christmas truce of the First World War, and even saw the Doctor meet the grandfather of one of his greatest friends, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Moffat and Capaldi’s exit marks a significant change for the BBC show, with Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall taking on the role of showrunner.

Rufus Sewell says Lord M's relationship with Victoria is different this series, but just how will Prince Albert react to his return?

The much anticipated second series of Victoria kicked off last week and was met with warm reviews. Fans of the royal drama got an unexpected treat when they saw that Rufus Sewell would be back to play Lord Melbourne.

Thankfully for Lord M-lovers, the producers found a way to bring him back without straying too far from real events.

Initially what attracted Rufus to the role in series one was that it was 'finite'.

He explained: "I really didn't want Melbourne to be hanging around beyond the natural span of his story."

He added: "When the producers came to me with a way to bring him back in season two that was still true to the story, I was only too happy to come back."

Fans shared their excitement on Twitter with several funny posts.

On this week's episode of the acclaimed show, Rufus will appear alongside Jenna Coleman (Victoria) and Tom Hughes (Prince Albert) and things could get a little awkward...

After all, Lord Melbourne was Victoria's first love, confidante and as the Prime Minister at the time in which he plays a vital role in her life.

It is therefore no surprise that Prince Albert might feel a little threatened by Victoria's old flame!

Read more...

Is Jenna Coleman engaged to her Victoria co-star Tom Hughes?

Jenna Coleman: ‘Victoria is devastated to be pregnant again!’

But, Rufus explained that while he thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry that Victoria and Lord M shared, continuing it this series would not have worked.

He said: "What wouldn't work is trying to repeat the situation and the dynamic that Lord M and Victoria had in series one, fun though it was to play.  That had to end and by the time Albert arrived Melbourne's role and the nature of his relationship with Victoria had changed as it should."

Explaining how Lord M navigated his new relationship with Albert, Rufus said: "There had been a certain level of imagined antagonism to start off with, but actually in reality they liked each rather a lot once the original suspicion went away, so it was lovely to come back to work a little more with Tom Hughes."

We can't wait to see how this one unfolds... How long will Lord M stick around this time?

Victoria continues on Sunday 3 September at 9pm on ITV

Legendary star Diana Rigg turns up in ITV's Victoria as an acerbic Duchess with very similar traits to Maggie's Smith's Dowager in Downton Abbey...

Any fan of historical TV drama who's missing Maggie Smith's Dowager Duchess in Downton Abbey will fall in love with Dame Diana Rigg as the Duchess of Buccleuch in the second series of Victoria (ITV, Sunday August 27, 9pm).

Just like Maggie's amazingly brusque and blunt Downton character, Diana's Duchess unleashes scene stealing one-liners every time she appears on screen.

What's on TV caught up with Dame Diana – star of The Avengers and Game Of Thrones – on the set of Victoria in Yorkshire...

Your character sounds amazing… "Oh, she is fun. She really is fun. I'm hugely grateful to writer Daisy Goodwin because she has given her every prejudice that a grand Victorian dame would have. She is lovely to play. My Duchess has no long speeches, mostly punchy lines. That's heaven."

What is her function in Queen Victoria's Court? "She is 'Mistress of the Bedchamber'. She doesn’t have anything to do with the Bedchamber though. She is just two paces behind Victoria and makes certain people curtsey."

A lot of that still continues… "I don’t know. I don’t move in those sort of circles. My knees wouldn’t stand it."

It was a political appointment, wasn’t it? "No. It wasn’t political because she’s not remotely political. It was just to do with status. She had to be a Duchess. And most of the aristocracy, certainly the women, in those days were wildly undereducated. They had no education whatsoever. So all they had were their prejudices, which had been handed down to them from their mother or father and they didn’t really think for themselves at all.

"It was a fusty, fusty, fusty atmosphere all round. So much protocol it isn’t true. Backed out of the room, got up every time Victoria got up, curtseyed every time she left the room or entered."

What does she make of Queen Victoria? "She approves of Victoria. But she doesn’t always approve of the people she surrounds herself with. So the French won’t do. The Irish are feckless. Oh and the Belgians, let’s not go there. It’s great fun, but also she is a counter to a great deal of the sycophancy that goes on at the Court. She’s a sort of counter-balance to that."

Do she and Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman) get on well? "Up to a point. I think Victoria tolerates her because she has got to have a Duchess because they only had Duchesses as Mistress of the Bedchamber. The Queen tolerates her, but she does dismiss her quite crossly from time to time when the Duchess oversteps the mark. She doesn’t know her place."

Was it nice to work with Jenna again after appearing alongside her in Doctor Who? "Yes, though we hardly saw each other. It was mostly my daughter Rachael (Stirling) and I and the Doctor himself."

You spent the first few years of your life in India because your father was an engineer on the railways. When you grew up what sense had there been of Victoria and the Empire? "You understand it. Having lived within it as you were, you totally understand it and the status people had. When my mum first went to India as a very shy young bride, people would call on her and, if she wasn’t there, they would leave their cards. And then she had to learn to reciprocate and that was in a one-horse town in India. They kept up their standards in the most astonishing way."

Do you think there is anything we can learn from the Victorians in that kind of way? "I think the adherence to principle is pretty good. But let’s not go there at the moment. I do sit in front of the television and there are times when I feel like weeping. I do talk to the screen actually and say ‘Shut up!’"

Victoria the second series premieres on ITV this Sunday, August 27 at 9pm

The star of ITV's Victoria was sporting a ring on her wedding finger at the press launch for the new series

Victoria star Jenna Coleman has spared rumours that she is engaged to her on-screen husband Tom Hughes, after she stepped out sporting a glittering stone on her ring finger.

The pair, who play the former British royals in the popular ITV period drama, posed for pictures at a central London screening event on Thursday to launch the show’s second season.

Jenna, 31, wore a dazzling gold ring as she gave interviews with boyfriend Hughes, also 31.

As pictures from the Ham Yard Hotel event emerged online, fan George Whittaker wrote: “I didn’t realise Jenna Coleman is Engaged! WOW” and Linda Wyatt added: “Heard the two leads Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes are engaged in real life.”

Asked during the evening what it was like to play out Victoria and Albert’s famously passionate relationship on screen, she told the Press Association that filming argument scenes were the toughest part.

“I think argument scenes are really, really hard,” she said.

“It’s probably one of the most challenging things because, especially something that’s so fiery, it needs to be spontaneous, so you need to shoot really quickly.

“And you want to get them right, you know, because (Victoria and Albert) are very famous for it, it’s part of them.”

Earlier in the week she revealed that those spontaneous scenes at one point prompted her to throw a hairbrush at her co-star so hard it broke.

Hughes said: “When you have that volatility, it gives it a real energy.

“Particularly in period dramas, some of it can be quite reserved at times so to have that different rhythm is helpful for the story and you just kind of dive in – and if it means you get a hairbrush thrown at you, then that’s what happens.”

Victoria returns to ITV at 9.05pm on Sunday.

Jenna Coleman reveals the difficulties of motherhood for Queen Victoria in the second series of ITV's hit historical drama...

TV Times was transported back to the 19th Century to watch Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes film scenes at Ripon Cathedral for the second series of hit ITV's Victoria.

The action picks up one month on from the gripping series one finale, which saw Victoria give birth to the couple’s first child, also named Victoria, and it now follows the Queen as she juggles her new role as a mother with her royal duties.

Here, former Doctor Who star Jenna, tells us what’s in store…

Where do we find Victoria at the start of this series? "She has been in confinement since the birth of her child. She’s told she can’t do anything for herself so as you can imagine, she’s not in the best of tempers! Albert has taken over while she has been away, leaving Victoria feeling very threatened."

When Victoria returns to work, Prince Albert (Tom) struggles to find a role for himself and a power struggle plays out between them. Tell us more… "The Victoria we explore this series is in her honeymoon period, which is interrupted by numerous pregnancies. She’s hugely disappointed to be what she calls, ‘caught’. We see Victoria, as ever, deeply in love with Albert, learning to navigate her new life as a mother and keep her hands firmly on the crown, whilst ring true to her independent and stubborn nature. Such a balancing act leads to inevitable fireworks…"

You have done lots of research, what did you discover about Victoria’s approach to motherhood? "She wrote in her diary that being pregnant ‘it is the ONLY thing I dread’, but she does love her children. There is a misconception that she wasn’t very tender and motherly towards them, but it was just that being pregnant was a great misery for her. She was the first queen ever to have children, and to manage nine children, a husband and being Queen is a remarkable feat."

How does Victoria react when she discovers she’s pregnant again so soon after her first child? "It’s a devastating blow and we deal with Victoria’s inability to bond with the second baby, it was perhaps undiagnosed postnatal depression. We see Victoria retreat into herself."

How would you describe Victoria’s relationship with Albert? "They’re complete opposites and on paper should never work. You have a logical, scientific and mathematical mind; a rational and sensitive man, and then Victoria who is selfish, impulsive, romantic and passionate. The biggest thing this series to get right was how those dynamics between them shift and change. It’s an unusual marriage because there aren’t many marriages which hold such intensity and are under such public scrutiny. I guess you could say it was unique."

How did you find filming with the little ones who play Victoria and Albert’s children? "The hardest thing this series is learning how to do a scene with three children! I’ve not developed that multi-tasking function yet; maybe it comes with motherhood."

We're very excited that Dame Diana Rigg joins this series as Victoria’s new Mistress of the Robes. You worked together on Doctor Who, was it nice to be reunited? "Yes and funny because we’re both wearing Victorian costumes again. She’s fabulous as the Duchess of Bucchleuch – she isn’t what Victoria is expecting as she has a very different perspective on things. But as the series goes on, their relationship changes..."

Finally, what do you love most about playing Victoria? "Her absolute candidness and frankness to say exactly what she thinks."

Victoria series 2 premieres on ITV on Sunday, August 27 at 9.05pm

What’s in store for the young monarch in the second series of ITV’s royal hit

The second series of lavish period drama Victoria is once again set to be sparkling jewel in ITV’s autumn crown. Here TV Times reveals what’s in store when the sumptuous saga returns…

1. The returning cast…

Jenna Coleman is, of course, back as the young monarch with Tom Hughes reprising his role as her husband Prince Albert. Also returning are Nigel Lindsay (Sir Robert Peel), Alex Jennings (King Leopold), Peter Bowles (Duke of Wellington), David Oakes (Prince Ernest), Daniela Holtz (Baroness Lehzen) and Catherine Flemming (the Duchess of Kent).

Meanwhile, back below stairs are Nell Hudson (Skerrett) Ferdinand Kingsley (chef Francatelli) and Adrian Schiller (Penge). Victoria’s also reunited with her beloved white horse Almonzo.

2. Exciting new characters…

Legendary actress Dame Diana Rigg joins the regular cast list as the outspoken Duchess of Bucchleuch, Victoria’s new Mistress of the Robes.

3. High-profile guest stars…

New Tricks star Denis Lawson will play the Duke of Atholl, who welcomes Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the Highlands. Line of Duty favourite Martin Compston is Dr Robert Traill, who campaigned vigorously for those affected by the Irish potato famine. Call the Midwife star Emerald Fennell (who played Nurse Patsy Mount) takes on the role of Lady Ada Lovelace. Theatre star Jo Stone-Fewings will be father of the computer Charles Babbage, while acclaimed French actor Bruno Wolkowitch is King Louis Philippe.

4. Plot details….

After the gripping series one finale last October, which saw Victoria give birth to the couple’s first child, the action picks up six weeks on and finds the Queen learning to juggle her royal duties with being a mum. However Prince Albert is still struggling to find his role and an inevitable power struggle plays out between the couple.

"In series one Victoria married the handsome prince, but in this series she and Albert get down to the serious business of living happily, sometimes stormily, ever after," said creator Daisy Goodwin.

"Victoria’s the only Queen Regnant to marry and give birth while on the throne and the challenges of being head of state as well as a wife and mother are legion. In many ways Victoria’s dilemma is a modern one - how do you have a successful marriage and a happy family when you are holding down an important job. Can you really have it all?"

https://youtu.be/HwaZb-s6Mb4

5. New locations….

As well as much drama in Buckingham Palace, there will be trips to France and Germany and the series will also touch on tragedy in Ireland and war in Afghanistan, and see Victoria and Albert discovering sanctuary on the Isle of Wight.

6. A festive treat

After the eight-part series will follow a two-hour Christmas special! Victoria will most likely return to ITV in early September.

Victoria star Jenna Coleman took to social media to share a photo of her granddad in period costume on the set of the drama

Jenna Coleman has taken full advantage of being the star of a hit TV series by securing a role for her grandfather.

But before cries of nepotism are heard, the actress who plays Queen Victoria in ITV’s dramatisation Victoria was quick to point out that he had only been cast as 'man in crowd', not her character’s actual grandfather, George III.

The former Doctor Who companion is currently filming series two of Victoria and shared a photo on Instagram of herself and her grandfather in period costume.

She captioned it: “When your Grandad comes to work day. #manincrowd”

Her photo also gives away a plot clue as she appears to be sporting another baby bump, having given birth to a first child at the end of series one.

Although as Queen Victoria had nine children,it would be fair to assume that the pregnancy prosthetic will be getting regular airings from now on.

Victoria is due back on ITV in the autumn, and there will be a two-hour Christmas special in December.

ITV's hugely popular drama about Queen Victoria will return later this year and the first clip has just been released

ITV has released the first clip from the eagerly awaited second series of ITV's hit historical drama, Victoria.

It comes on Victoria Day, the anniversary of Queen Victoria's birthday in 1819.

The clip, which stars  Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) and Tom Hughes (The Game) as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, depicts the Christening of the couple’s first-born child, Victoria.

Following the critical acclaim and record ratings success of the first instalment, and picking up six weeks after the first series ended, the new series establishes Victoria as a working mother, learning to balance her responsibilities as both parent and Queen. However, Prince Albert is still struggling to find a role for himself alongside his powerful wife as she returns to her duties.

The teaser follows the news that acclaimed British actress Dame Diana Rigg has joined the cast as the Queen’s new Mistress Of The Robes,  while Line Of Duty star Martin Compston will be making a guest appearance as social activist Dr Robert Traill.

The pair joins returning cast members including Nigel Lindsay (Unforgotten), David Oakes (The White Queen), Daniela Holtz (Circle Of Life), Catherine Flemming (Tatort) and Nell Hudson (Outlander).

Read more about the first series of Victoria here...

FIRST LOOK: Jenna Coleman as the young Queen Victoria

Jenna Coleman to star in ITV's epic period drama, Victoria

Jenna Coleman: 'I can't wait to tell the young Queen Victoria's story!'

The eight-part series and two-hour Christmas special has been commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill, and creator Daisy Goodwin has written the episodes.

The first series of the drama was ITV’s highest rating drama of 2016, receiving critical acclaim and a consolidated average of 7.7m viewers with a 29 per cent share. It has also proved equally popular in the US, with the first series reaching an average audience of 6.3m viewers and the first episode drawing in a 28 per cent share, more viewers than the first series of Downton Abbey.

There's no word yet on when the new series of Victoria will be broadcast.

Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will be joined by acting legend Dame Diana Rigg for the second series of Victoria on ITV

Acting royalty Dame Diana Rigg is to join the cast of Victoria as filming for series two and a new Christmas special gets underway.

Game of Thrones star, Dame Diana, will play the Duchess of Buccleuch,  Mistress of the Robes, an outspoken adviser to Queen Victoria. She will join actors Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes who reprise their roles as  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for the new eight part series.

Following the huge success of the first series, which regularly pulled in more that 7.7m viewers, the second will pick up six weeks after the first ended and will establish Victoria as a working mother, learning to balance her responsibilities  and juggle motherhood with being a Queen. Meanwhile, her husband, Prince Albert, struggles to find himself a meaningful role and viewers will see a power battle unravel between him and his domineering wife.

Creator, Daisy Goodwin said: “In series one Victoria married the handsome prince, but in this series she and Albert get down to the serious business of living happily, sometimes stormily, ever after. Victoria is the only Queen Regnant to marry and give birth while on the throne and the challenges of being head of state as well as a wife and mother are legion. In many ways Victoria’s dilemma is a modern one - how do you have a successful marriage and a happy family when you are holding down an important job.  Can you really have it all?”

As well as much drama in Buckingham Palace, the series will include trips to France and Germany, touch on tragedy in Ireland and war in Afghanistan, and see Victoria and Albert discovering sanctuary in the Isle of Wight.

Many of the cast from series one will return including Nigel Lindsay (Unforgotten) as Sir Robert Peel, Alex Jennings (The Lady In The Van) as King Leopold, Peter Bowles (To The Manor Born) as Duke of Wellington, David Oakes (The White Queen) as Ernest, Daniela Holtz (Circle Of Life) as Baroness Lehzen and Catherine Flemming (Tatort) as the Duchess of Kent. Below stairs Nell Hudson (Outlander) returns as Skerrett, Ferdinand Kingsley (Borgia) as chef Francatelli and Adrian Schiller (The Secret Agent) as Penge.

Executive Producer, Damien Timmer, added, “It is a privilege to continue to tell the story of this fascinating woman at a particularly interesting point in her reign. Audiences will be intrigued by the meticulously researched stories Daisy has planned, brimming with scandal, romance and tragedy. At the centre of it is a beautifully nuanced study of a young marriage, and it’s a joy to watch Jenna and Tom find new layers to this iconic couple.”

Victoria will screen on ITV later this year

In the penultimate episode of Victoria, Prince Albert forms an unlikely friendship with Tory leader Robert Peel. We spoke to actor Nigel Lindsay to find out more...

In the penultimate episode of Victoria, Prince Albert is struggling to be accepted by the Tories and the British people. Why? There seems to be a feeling, which is conveyed in the episode, that the Tories were wary of this family coming over from Germany and inveigling their way into British royal family, even though Victoria had German connections. It was felt in some circles that Albert was marrying for money and power, and that we were being invaded. So, yes, they definitely against the idea.

What does Albert do to increase his popularity? Albert was a very quiet and methodical man, but was really interested in progress and change. I don’t think it was done on his part to win him power and love from the population but it was pointed out to him that if he got more involved with the English way of life, if he found a cause, he might be more acceptable to the British. The first cause he found was slavery, he went to the anti-slavery conventions and he was very keen on progress so when he heard that Peel had a train on his land, they formed a bond.

What happens when Albert and Victoria visit Peel? Victoria decides they should tour the country a bit in order to make the face of the monarchy more public. Obviously this was before television and the internet so people didn’t know who they were, so she goes on these tours because there was still a slight clamour for her uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, to be king. So she goes on a popularity tour, a bit like John Major getting on his battle bus, and they go and stay with this very old fashioned Tory gent, who humiliates Albert. Peel is on the neighbouring estate and when they go and visit him, he realises what’s happening. It’s the beginning of a bromance between Peel and Albert.

How does this gent humiliate Albert? He’s a very old fashioned, stuck-up Tory grandee. And his wife isn’t much better; she has no time for Albert, and not much time for Victoria, to be honest. He just talks down to Albert and there’s all this stuff about precedence, who holds whose hand going into dinner, that sort of thing. All Albert’s ideas are laughed at. They try to humiliate Albert by advising his steward that he should be wearing a certain set of clothes for hunting and shooting, but they’re clothes that no one would be seen dead in. They try to get the steward to set the clothes out for Albert but he’s advised by someone else not to do it. They try to humiliate Albert at all times but he actually proves himself to be a much better shot than everyone else. They’re shown up to be the snobs that they are.

How did you find working with Tom Hughes? It was great. He’s a very serious man. And he’s very professional. He gets on with it. He had to find a character for Albert, who wasn’t the most easygoing of people. I find it interesting working with actors if they’re playing someone like that, or playing someone nasty or whatever, they tend to stay away from you on set quite a lot but Tom and I got on really well. It was very interesting watching him work. We work quite differently, but I’ve been doing it a long time and have seen many different methods of approach to the way people find their characters. You just let people get on with it as long as it doesn’t impinge on what you’re doing.

How did you find playing a politician in the House of Commons? I only had one scene in the House of Commons which is in the last episode. It’s always very difficult with those of scenes because I was supposed to be haranguing a huge audience on the other side of the house. But there were just 15 crew members in front of me, scratching their bums and trying not to look me in the eye. That's always difficult. Those scenes are quite nice because you’re giving a loud speech. Most of the camerawork is quite intimate, you’re trying to keep it low and make the performance come from inside you. But with scenes like that you’re projecting, you’re trying to give a big speech to a big audience so I find them fun, but difficult when you’re supposed to be looking at 300 MPs when there are only a few people and a camera pointing at you.

Did you like being in a period drama for a change? I was talking to someone recently about period drama and I can’t remember having actually filmed anything like this before. I usually do a lot of comedy and modern stuff but I’m not usually picked out to do period drama so I really enjoyed it. Putting on a costume helps you. And the sets were fantastic too so you really feel like you’re at Buckingham Palace. It really helps. I’m doing a police drama at the moment and I’m filming in someone’s kitchen. It feels like I’m in my own kitchen so it’s quite difficult to get into a different character. But when you’re playing a character in a different time, with a different costume, with a wig on, it makes you feel inherently different from the beginning, so you’ve got an advantage. And everywhere you look, everyone looks like they’ve come out of the 1830s, so yeah I really enjoyed it.

he locations look amazing – did you enjoy filming the outside scenes? That’s another thing with filming something like Victoria. Everywhere you go is either a stately home or some other lovely place. At the moment I’m filming next to a sewage works in Dublin and there’s a constant waft of raw sewage blowing in. Also, the building we’re using as a police station is freezing cold, dusty and smelly. Raw sewage is all you can smell, even when you go back to your trailer. But with Victoria, you’re in a massive stately home, you’re riding in a carriage – it’s great fun. It makes a change, let me tell you!

You play a politician but were you interested in any of the politics? I’m interested as any person should be really. I found the research about Peel was fascinating. He was a really interesting, if difficult, politician. When his memoirs were published, a critic said why would anyone want to read about Peel, one of the most boring men ever. When I saw that I thought ‘Oh my God! This isn’t going to be much fun for me as an actor, trying to portray a man like that.’ But actually, when you get down to it and read about him and the politics of the time, it’s fascinating. One of the things you can say about Peel is that he was very principled man who always stuck to his beliefs, and that’s what came across later in life when he became so popular. You may not have agreed with him, but you had to admire him.

What were your favourite scenes to film? Undoubtedly the scenes on the train. That day was such fun. This man had lovingly crafted this steam train, which I think was a reproduction of Robert Stephenson’s Rocket, which was one of the first steam locomotives. Tom and I were like little kids as we pootled up and down this one line of track all day. The guys who played the engineers were actually from the local steam museum so it was fascinating talking to them. And we arrived in a horse and carriage. That’s one of the perks of this job you get to do different things and go to so many different countries and meet really interesting people. I did an episode of Death in Paradise which was three and a half weeks in Guadaloupe, which wasn’t at all bad. It was a gift of a job.

Would you be up for playing Robert Peel again? Well Peel isn’t even PM by the end of the last episode. I’m not giving anything away by saying Victoria gives birth to her first child at the end of the series, and Peel wasn’t PM until a few months after that.

What else are you up to? So I’m filming the police series – Innocent for ITV – at the moment, and I’ve just finished working on the second series of Unforgotten with Sanjeev Bhaskar and Nicole – I was going to say Nicole Kidman, but of course I mean Nicola Walker! I’m literally filming both at the same time, which has been great fun.

Victoria continues on ITV tonight at 9pm.

ITV has recommissioned its popular historical drama Victoria following average audiences of 7.7 million for series one

Jenna Coleman will not relinquish Queen Victoria’s throne as the hit ITV drama has been commissioned for a second series.

Sunday night prime-time drama Victoria launched in August, with Doctor Who star Coleman playing the young monarch in the early years of her reign – flanked by Rufus Sewell as Prime Minister Lord Melbourne and Tom Hughes as husband Prince Albert.

Victoria has been a ratings hit, beating the BBC’s period drama by averaging 7.7 million viewers, according to ITV figures.

The new series will bring Victoria into the next stage of her reign as she manages scandals, crises and the struggles of family life.

Writer and series creator Daisy Goodwin explained: “Even though she reigned in the 19th Century, Victoria is a heroine for our times.

“In the next series she faces the very modern dilemma of how to juggle children with her husband and her job.

“As Victoria will discover, it’s hard to be a wife, a mother and ruler of the most powerful nation on Earth.”

Damien Timmer, of production company Mammoth Screen, promised a series 'packed full of extraordinary real life events, with constitutional crises, scandals at court and personal challenges aplenty for the Queen and Prince Albert'.

Victoria is set to launch in the US in January and programme-makers will be hoping it echoes the success of period drama Downton Abbey, which gained a fan following in America.

ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo said: “Mammoth and Daisy Goodwin have brought the characters so vividly to life in this series, and we’re thrilled with the reception for Victoria.

“We’re pleased to be able to confirm that Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will return to continue the story on ITV.”

As Jenna Coleman prepares to ascend the throne as Victoria in ITV's new historical drama, here are 5 fascinating things about the iconic royal

Former Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman plays teenage Queen Victoria in ITV’s new lavish eight-part drama about the monarch’s scandalous early years on the throne.

This eight-part drama follows the early life of Queen Victoria from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18, through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert. Victoria went on to rule for 63 years, and was our longest serving monarch until she was overtaken by Elizabeth II on September 9th last year.

Here are five things you may have not known about Queen Victoria...

1 Blue blood

Jenna had to wear blue contact lenses to portray Victoria as her eyes are naturally brown. She says she's developed a fondness for the colour and joked she may wear them permanently.

2. Half-pint Highness

Her Maj was just 4ft 11in! Even a special crown had to be commissioned for Victoria's Coronation because the others were too big... She also had a specially made throne. Jenna is a little (not a lot!) taller at 5ft 2in.

3. Ring ring

At Victoria's Coronation, the Archbishop forced the ring of state on the wrong finger... she was too brave and ambarrassed to complain!

4. Young lust

On 11^th November 1839 in her diary, the 19-year-old Victoria wrote: “ How handsome dearest Albert looks in his white cashmere breeches. With nothing on underneath.”

Not the words of a sour-faced monarch, but the passionate words of a love-struck girl, who just happened to be Queen.

5. A woman's best friend Dash the spaniel was Victoria's constant companion during her early years at Kensington Palace.

Victoria continues on ITV on Sunday nights

As period drama Victoria continues on Sunday, actress Catherine Flemming reveals how she played 'mum' both on-screen - and off!

On screen in ITV’s lavish new costume drama, Victoria, the young Queen and her mother have been at war. But off screen Catherine Flemming, who plays Victoria’s mum, The Duchess of Kent, reveals that she struck up a great relationship with Jenna Coleman, who stars as the teenage monarch.

Talking to What’s on TV at the show's grand launch outside Kensington Palace, the 49-year-old German actress told us: "For the Queen mother everything is about love. The background is love and her protecting her daughter. I love Jenna like my daughter!"

So far on the show, Victoria has been doing her best to ignore her mother as much as possible. But Catherine says that her character continues to fight to be heard in the series, the first episode of which attracted over six million viewers. "When you are children, you don’t want to listen to your parents," admitted Catherine.

However, the relationship between mother and daughter looks like it might improve when Victoria starts her sizeable family – she ended up having nine children with her future husband, Prince Albert (Tom Hughes)! "Later when Victoria becomes pregnant, she is screaming for her mother," said Catherine.

Meanwhile, Catherine praised the show's recreation of Buckingham Palace, which was built in a disused aircraft hangar. "Unbelievable what they built there," she smiled. "It was full of hundreds of candles – it was wonderful!"

Victoria continues on ITV this Sunday.

Jenna Coleman talks to TV Times in depth about her starring role in ITV's new historical drama based on the early life of Queen Victoria

TV Times settle down to talk to Jenna Coleman about her starring role in ITV’s lavish new eight-part drama Victoria, which follows her early life from her accession to the throne to her courtship and eventual marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes).

But we a shock when Jenna sweeps into the room looking the spitting image of Queen Elizabeth I.

Why do you look like Queen Elizabeth I? "I’m dressed as the wrong queen so don’t get confused."

Who are you playing? "I’m playing Queen Victoria, but in the scene we’re shooting now she’s going to a fancy dress ball as Queen Elizabeth I."

What do you like about Queen Victoria? "The thing about her that I really like is she’s got a zest for life."

What is Victoria like? "Victoria is really impulsive and she’s so unbelievably stubborn, but she’s also incredibly loyal. She has a hilarious sense of humour and when she likes someone she really likes them and if she doesn’t, they’re out!"

What is her character like to play? "She’s wonderful to play because while on occasions she has to act formally at other times she’s actually just a young girl who wants to break out of her corset to play on the floor with her dog."

What do you love about her? "I love that at the same time she’s this young, naïve and artless girl, she’s also remembering her duty and being pulled back to that all the time.’

How does she feel about taking on this kind of responsibility? "She’s nervous about taking over, but also incredibly proud."

As a virtual prisoner, what was Victoria’s upbringing like? "Victoria has been brought up at Kensington Palace and treated like a political pawn."

Who does Victoria have back at the palace? "She doesn’t have anyone at Kensington except her dog. Her relationship with her mother has already dissolved by the time we start the series and although Conroy wants to be a father figure to Victoria, she can’t abide him."

Victoria nicknamed the Prime Minister. What’s the relationship like between the pair? "It’s a really fascinating relationship because Melbourne is the one person in this sea of flatterers who isn’t trying to achieve something with her other than to be her friend and to listen to her."

Does Victoria feel anything towards Melbourne? "Her diary entries reveal that she’s obsessed with Melbourne. We explore their incredible relationship, which I don’t think I’ve seen played out in any other show."

What do people reckon about their relationship? "Some suggest it’s love, others that it’s simply a friendship, but what’s clear is that when she becomes Queen she needs him, she really needs him."

What is Victoria’s character like? "Victoria is a very flawed character and she doesn’t always get things right."

How is the piano playing going? "The piano is going terribly. I have to play Beethoven in a week’s time and it’s a really important scene."

What are the costumes you are going to be wearing like? "A lot of them are exact replicas of Victoria’s dresses, which is very cool."

What was Victoria’s fashion like? "Apparently, Victoria was kind of quite unfashionable in her way. Her ladies in waiting were the fashionable ones whereas Victoria wasn’t fussed about herself."

What was Victoria into? "Victoria was really into ballet and opera, so she really admired beauty but just in other people."

Victoria had blue eyes. How you taking to wearing contact lenses? "You see in a lot of her portraits that she had these big blue piercing eyes. I’m kind of starting to prefer having blue eyes, which is worrying!"

While, on the set of Doctor Who were you looking for a completely different role elsewhere? "No, it was quite serendipitous really how it all happened. To be honest I thought I was going to take a little break for a while after Doctor Who and then Victoria came up!"

So, what’s the appeal of Victoria? "It’s a lovely change of scene."

The star of ITV's new historical drama Victoria, Jenna Coleman, says she and Prince Harry are friends

Jenna Coleman has brushed off speculation about her friendship with Prince Harry.

The former Doctor Who star, 30, who plays a young Victoria in a new ITV period drama, and the royal were pictured 'looking flirty' at a polo match last year.

Jenna was asked on Good Morning Britain whether she had met Harry to carry out research on the royal family for the TV role.

“No, he’s a friend of mine,” the star replied.

And the former Emmerdale actress laughed politely when presenter Kate Garraway told her: “We want him married off!”

Jenna told Good Morning Britain that the eight-part Sunday night drama, which begins this weekend, did not shy away from steamy scenes featuring Victoria and Albert, played by Tom Hughes.

“It’s not something we have shied away from at all. I think to understand their relationship and to understand how they operate with one another, their chemistry, their passion, their love for one another was extremely strong yet turbulent,” she said.

“In order to understand them as a dynamic and how they operate you have to have that passion,” she added.

The drama’s writer Daisy Goodwin has previously said audiences may be surprised to meet an 18-year-old Victoria, who she said was most like Prince Harry.

“I think most people think of Victoria as an old bag in a bonnet don’t they? That sourpuss with a crown who never smiled,” she said.

“But I’ve tried to show that Victoria is actually, at the beginning of her reign, a bit of a party girl. She loved dancing, she liked men, she had sex, she’s more like Prince Harry than she was like Elizabeth II.

“Victoria came to the throne looking for action.”

After we chose the top 10 Historical TV Hunks (see below) it was only a matter of time until we did the same for the Crown Princesses of Costume Drama. And here they are...

Jenna Coleman – Victoria

Former Doctor Who companion Jenna Coleman is due to return to our screens soon in ITV's Queen Victoria, but this beauty bears scant resemblence to the scowling Queen Vic of history (and we're not complaining!) Victoria (Jenna) is portrayed advancing from teenhood to Queenhood, with not a Dalek in sight!

Billie Piper – Mansfield Park

Perhaps there really is something in this time-space continuum because another ex Doctor Who companion, Billie, was tranported back to the 18th Century in 2007 and starred as the iconic Jane Austen character Fanny Price.

Heida Reed – Poldark

Icelandic model turned actor Heida was an exquisite Elizabeth, the first object of Ross Poldark's affections, in the BBC1 reboot of Poldark. Word has it that she and Poldark will reunite in the upcoming series – and who could blame the man!?

Claire Foy – Upstairs Downstairs

Claire is about to star as Queen Elizabeth II in the upcoming Netflix epic, The Crown, and she has a regal on-screen pedigree that's perfect for the part. Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall, Lady Persephone Towyn in Upstairs Downstairs, Anny Dorritt in Little Dorritt... she's featured more period costumes than the V&A Museum!

Romola Garai – Emma

Romola won a Golden Globe for her performance as the title character in BBC1's four-part adaptation of the Jane Austen novel; her character was like a one-woman forerunner of Match.com. From Vanity Fair to Atonement and Daniel Deronda, there's something about Romola's presence that just screams 'You're history, baby!'

Lily James – War & Peace

Lily had already redefined costume drama beauty as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey, and as spirited teen Natasha in War & Peace, she was desperate to find love while all around her in Russia was chaos. Brooding Prince Andrei seemed to be a perfect match for her, but the path of love never runs smooth...

Jessica Brown Findlay – Jamaica Inn

She died suddenly as Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey, but Jessica illuminates the screen in any of her historical roles (even when you can't hear her, like the BBC's mumbling Jamaica Inn). She's the very picture of a tortured period beauty.

Carey Mulligan – Northanger Abbey

Scheming and mischievous, Carey brought a sly charm to her Isabella Thorpe in ITV's 2007 adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Did she ever find the financially suitable man of her dreams? There's not a man in the land who'd refuse her hand!

Tuppence Middleton – War and Peace

Confusing everyone (well us, at least) by appearing in War & Peace AND Dickensian in the past 12 months, Tuppence played wildly different sides of the historical penny. As Charles Dickens' tragic Miss Havisham she embodied honour, romantic love and naivety, but as Tolstoy's Helene Kuragina she was a power-crazed, incestuous sex-obsessive. What range!

Gillian Anderson – Bleak House

Somewhere, out there, The X-Files star Gillian decided a turn or two in period costume was required. She chose Charles Dickens as her mentor and appeared as Lady Dedlock in BBC1's Bleak House before playing the doomed Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. Lady Dedlock was a woman with a past, a very mysterious past...

Read about 10 HISTORICAL TV HUNKS here.

Victoria will premiere on ITV in late August

ITV has released dramatic new pictures of former Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria

ITV has released dramatic new pictures of former Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria.

The 30-year-old actress, who left the TARDIS as companion Clara late last year, stars as the young monarch in ITV’s lavish new eight-part costume drama Victoria.

Victoria centres on the early life of the queen, from her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes).

"Victoria is a vivid, strong, inspirational and utterly fascinating woman in British history and I can’t wait to tell her story," says Jenna.

One snap released features Rufus Sewell as Lord Melbourne, her first Prime Minister, riding side by side with Victoria.

The pair quickly became friends and their relationship was so close it became a popular source of gossip that threatened to destabilise the Government.

Meanwhile, Prince Albert appears in the drama from episode three, immediately making an impression on the young Queen, his first cousin.

Although Victoria was initially reluctant to rush into marrying Albert, their partnership was a success and they would ultimately produce nine children.

Victoria also features Eve Myles as Mrs Jenkins, the Queen’s senior dresser, Nigel Lindsay as Tory Party leader Sir Robert Peel and Peter Firth as the Queen’s conniving uncle, the Duke of Cumberland.

It is expected to air on ITV later this year.

Jenna Coleman could be making an unexpected return to Doctor Who.

The actress’s character Clara Oswald departed at the end of the last series, having erased herself from the Doctor’s memory.

Jenna Coleman in Doctor Who (Ian West/PA)

But now Peter Capaldi, the Time Lord himself, has let slip that her absence might not be permanent, reported the Radio Times.

Speaking at Awesome Con in the US, he teased: “I’m not sure how successfully Clara was able to wipe his mind.

“I just… I was about to tell you something I can’t tell you.”

He continued: “I just shot something that Clara was still there in.”

Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who (David Venni/BBC)

However, it isn’t clear what Peter was referring to, as the cast aren’t due to start shooting the 10th series until later this month.

The actor made the announcement at Dallas Comic Con in Texas on Friday, where he appeared alongside Jenna and co-star Michelle Gomez.

We start in 2 weeks. – Peter Capaldi on @bbcdoctorwho's upcoming filming schedule!

— Dallas Comic Con (@dallascomiccon) June 4, 2016

Jenna Coleman took her final bow in Doctor Who tonight when her character, Clara Oswald, died in an emotional episode.

The Doctor’s companion died after trying to save her friend Rigsy from a death sentence imposed upon him by Ashildr (Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams).

Clara offered to swap places with Rigsy in a bid to confuse Ashildr and escape with him, but despite the Doctor’s efforts she was forced to 'face the raven'.  

Jenna, who will next be seen in ITV's historical drama Victoria in 2016, recently spoke about her departure from Doctor Who.   

"It's been in the works for a very long time,” she said in an interview on Radio 1. “Steve Moffat and I sat down a year and a half ago and tried to work out the best place to do it and tell a really good story. We worked out a really good story arc out so hopefully people will love it."

So that’s goodbye to Clara, but rumours are already circulating about who the Doctor’s next companion might be, with Maisie Williams herself at the top of the list.

Peter Capaldi was tight-lipped when asked about whether Maisie would be joining him in the TARDIS, but he praised her performances in the show this year.

“Maisie is fantastic,” he said. “She's been in Game of thrones since she was 12 and is very assured. I was doing a shot with her and when they called ‘action’ she pulled me back a bit. When I asked her what she was doing she said, ‘You were in my light.’ But she is lovely.”

But fans who are expecting the Timelord’s companion to be revealed in the final two episodes of the series or the Christmas special are in for a disappointment as the actor's identity won’t be revealed until the next series!

The clock is ticking down on Jenna Coleman’s time as companion Clara Oswald on Doctor Who.

In the tonight's episode, 'Face The Raven', the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Clara and their old friend Rigsy (Joivan Wade) find themselves in a secret alien world, folded away among the streets of London.

One of the three intruders must face the raven, but not all of them will get out alive. Will Clara be killed off?

Jenna Coleman in Doctor Who (Ian West/PA)

One companion death instantly springs to mind – the first.

Katarina (Adrienne Hill) propelled both herself and her captor into space in a 1965 episode.

The Time Lord’s brave and resourceful Clara made her first appearance opposite Matt Smith’s Doctor in 2012 episode 'Asylum Of The Daleks'.

The Doctor and his companion, Clara (David Venni/BBC)

Jenna replaced Karen Gillan, who’d made her name as sidekick Amy Pond, and went on to star alongside Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. She bows out after three years as the longest-serving companion since the series was rebooted in 2005.

It remains to be seen whether the ultimate end awaits Clara but, in the meantime, we look back at some of her best moments.

1. Asylum Of The Daleks

Where else to start than at the beginning?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epc-Z974eiQ&feature=oembed

As Oswin, and trapped inside a Dalek, Clara helped the Doctor and companions Amy and Rory Pond (Arthur Darvill) escape a planet for insane Daleks.

However, it was at the cost of her own life. “Run, you clever boy! And remember me,” she told the Time Lord.

2. The Name Of The Doctor

When an enemy jumped into the Doctor’s timestream to destroy him, Clara followed suit in this 2013 instalment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDxPGQQyD4g&feature=oembed

She risked her life to save the Time Lord, resulting in a million versions of her living and dying all over time and space.

“There’s only one thing I remember: I have to save the Doctor,” she said in the opening of the episode.

3. Flatline

If you want to watch Clara act as the Doctor, this 2014 episode is the one to seek out.

Clara finds herself outside a shrunken Tardis, while the Time Lord is locked inside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BjB5XduL58&feature=oembed

It is up to her to save the day. “I just hope I can keep them all alive,” she sighed.

“Welcome to my world,” said the Doctor.

4. Deep Breath

The Doctor has regenerated and Clara has to get used to this familiar and unfamiliar person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7f1RQidiNM&feature=oembed

The bickering between the two protagonists made this 2014 episode particularly enjoyable, but Clara also demonstrated just how clever she is by extracting the information needed from the main Cyborg.

5. The Magician’s Apprentice

Superb visuals in the opener to this current ninth series. A terrified child is trapped with no escape route. The Doctor appears, but the boy’s name is Davros – the creator of the Daleks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXUvTldIL6A&feature=oembed

Meanwhile, the Doctor’s nemesis Missy (Michelle Gomez) teamed up with Clara for a common goal. The electrifying dynamic between the two ladies was an absolute delight. Two stars at the very top of their game.

Doctor Who continues on BBC1 tonight at 8.10pm.

Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman has joined calls for the show to be returned to its traditional teatime slot.

The 29-year-old, currently on screen in her final series as the time traveller’s sidekick, backed complaints from star Peter Capaldi and other key figures about the scheduling.

One of the most “wonderful” aspects of Doctor Who was that “there’s not many programmes that you can watch as a family”, she said.

Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi (Ian West/PA)

Asked if she thought it should be aired earlier, she said: “I think so. It is a family show and it should be watched as a family.

“But it’s not really for me. I don’t deal with the TV schedules.”

She said the show was “really good for kids because of the imagination it inspires and the creativity”.

The BBC insisted the show remains “at the heart” of its Saturday schedule and is Britain’s highest-rated drama series among children – but stressed that many viewers choose to watch it via a “catch-up” service after its scheduled broadcast.

Jenna Coleman (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Peter recently suggested it was being “used as a pawn in a Saturday night warfare” and urged that it be brought forward to “a time that’s reasonable” for youngsters to watch.

“I feel it’s a shame they’re not given that opportunity,” he said, and executive producer Steven Moffat called the scheduling “not smart”.

When Russell T Davies revived the much-loved programme in 2005, it was broadcast at teatime.

However, the current ninth series has been given the post-Strictly Come Dancing time slot, meaning episodes are finishing at 9pm.

Jenna insisted a concern that her role in the highly-popular show could define her career was not behind the decision to leave after three seasons – one with Matt Smith and two with his successor Peter, the 12th incarnation of the cult character.

Their predecessor David Tennant said in an interview for ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show that he suspected the first line of his obituary had already been written because of his time playing the role.

“That never worried me. It never has,” said Jenna as she appeared at the huge Doctor Who Festival at London’s ExCel centre where around 15,000 fans gathered – many in highly-elaborate costumes.

“I look at the bigger picture. I don’t think you can really base your decisions on ‘if I stay another year what will my gravestone say’?

“It was more a personal decision of how do I want to spend the next year, how much am I enjoying my time on this job, how much do I love working with Peter, how good are the scripts that Steven is providing and is it the right time to walk away?

“I stayed another year because it wasn’t.”

Jenna Coleman in Victoria (ITV)

She did not rule out a return – but said it would certainly not be anytime soon and laughed off a suggestion it could be as the first female doctor.

“Clara would like to think of herself as The Doctor – minus the 2,000 years of experience that he has. She’s got a long way to go.”

She said she would miss the close relationship built up with Peter – saying it was very much like the “unlikely friendship” between their characters.

The Time Lord (Peter Capaldi) and his companion (Jenna Coleman) (David Venni/BBC)

“In the way that Clara and The Doctor are, it’s such an unlikely friendship, but we are really similar and we love each other. He is a lovely man and a really great friend and it isn’t every day you get that. It’s quite rare.”

Jenna is next on TV screens playing Queen Victoria in  ITV's drama, Victoria, about the monarch’s early life.

Doctor Who continues on BBC1, Saturday, November 14, 8.15pm.

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has spoken for the first time about filming the Doctor’s final scene with Jenna Coleman as Clara, which happens at the end of the current series.

Peter, who’s played the Doctor since 2013, explained to DJ Nick Grimshaw on Radio One this morning how upsetting he found it all.

“It was really sad to say goodbye to Jenna, she was such great fun to work with and I’ve had a wonderful time with her," he said. "I don’t usually get very weepy when I’m working, but I just found this really sad. But I do still see her, so It’s not like saying goodbye Jenna in person, but sort of saying goodbye to her as her character Clara becomes the focus of your emotion. There are things perhaps you’d like to say to that person, how wonderful she’s been to me."

He continued: “Jenna was fabulous in her final scene for Doctor Who. It’s very clever what happens, but it’s very sad, really sad. It’s not what you think might happen. You think what you think is going to happen then it’s something else. And that’s what’s wonderful about Doctor Who, it’s always clever in that way. Things aren’t as straightforward as they appear. Get lots of hankies ready that’s what I would say. And it’s sad over a number of weeks…"

Peter went on to describe what becoming The Doctor has meant for him since joining Doctor Who, and it’s less scary than he imagined.

“It’s changed my life. People shout at me in the streets and look at me all the time!” he said. “At first it’s a bit scary because you can’t go anywhere without people peering at you, but to be honest they’re usually so friendly and lovely towards all things Doctor Who, ever so cheerful and nice, and always pleased to see me! They have smiles on their faces because I’ve turned up! And of course it’s not me turning up for them, it’s Doctor Who...

"I do love the job. You go into work and just think: I’m going to blow up some Daleks, see some guys dressed up in rubber monster costumes and run up and down a corridor with Jenna. It’s just a gas! How could you not like that?”

Doctor Who continues on BBC1, Saturdays

The first image of Jenna Coleman as a young Queen Victoria has been unveiled.

Doctor Who actress Jenna, 29, stars in the eight-part ITV series Victoria, which follows the early part of the monarch’s reign – from her accession to the throne at the age of 18 in 1838, through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert two years later.

Jenna Coleman in Victoria (ITV)

Victoria went on to rule for 63 years, and was the country’s longest-serving monarch until she was overtaken by Elizabeth II on September 9 this year.

The actress currently stars as Doctor Who’s companion, Clara Oswald, but is set to leave the show during this series. She will reportedly be killed off in November in an episode called Face The Raven.

Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi (Ian West/PA)

After her casting was announced in September, Jenna said: “I am delighted to be cast as Queen Victoria in this ambitious drama of her life. She is a vivid, strong, inspirational and utterly fascinating woman in British history and I can’t wait to tell her story.”

Rufus Sewell has been announced as Lord Melbourne, the first prime minister during Victoria’s rule, who had an intimate friendship with the monarch which became a popular source of gossip and threatened to destabilise the Government.

Rufus Sewell (Jordan Strauss/Invision)

The drama starts filming in locations around the north of England this month.

The series will open with a 90-minute episode, followed by seven one-hour episodes.

Emmerdale, Doctor Who and now a new role as a young Queen Victoria... Jenna Coleman talks to Soaplife about her amazing career on the small screen.

Jenna Coleman hasn’t looked back since she quit her role as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale in 2009. She’s currently on our screens as Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, and she’s landed the lead in a major ITV series about  Queen Victoria. Jenna’s played the Time Lord’s witty companion since 2012 and, although she’s announced this series will be her last, she says she’s leaving on a high.

“I’m really excited about this series,” Jenna says. “It’s a lot more space-bound and it’s all about time travelling. One of the most wonderful things about the show is every episode feels very different. In fact, it feels like a whole new show in a way.”

Clara and the Doctor seem very united in this series…

“Yes, they’re strong together and they’re just enjoying travelling and doing and seeing as much as possible. The series is very adrenaline-fuelled and it’s full of reckless adventure, with both of them throwing themselves head-first into it. There’s definitely an ease between them, a shorthand, and she’s definitely becoming more and more like him. I think she wants that… There are a few stories in this series where you see them parting ways, where they’re covering different bases, then you suddenly see them coming back together. They’re very much a proper team."

Do you think Clara’s moved on since the last series?

“In a way. She’s cutting her ties with Earth more and more. Since the death of her partner, Danny, her perspective on life has changed. She doesn’t fear her own mortality any more going into adventures and, when that happens, there’s a sense of freedom. It can also be quite dangerous, though.”

How do you and Peter [Capaldi, who plays the Doctor] get on outside of filming?

“We get on really, really well. I knew from our first lunch together that we’d get on – we both ordered omelette and chips! He’s so easy to talk to and we’re great mates, even though we’re such different ages [Jenna is 29 and Peter is 57]. We’re just totally good buddies and it’s really lovely!”

What’s been your favourite episode from this series and why?

“Episode 11 will be really unique, and also the Viking episode was so much fun to film. The scripts for episodes seven and eight are really strong, too. They feel like quite different Doctor Who episodes. They’re tense, provocative and clever, and they feel very relevant.”

You’ve done a few of your character’s stunts in this series, haven’t you?

“I’ve done a lot of hanging upside-down – one time on a cliff in Tenerife, for instance. That looks so easy to do on-screen, but it wasn’t at all! It was tricky because we could only do it in tiny spurts. I also had a scene where I was hanging outside of the TARDIS, so hanging off things seems to be one of my specialities in this series.”

How do you look back at your time working on Emmerdale?

“It was my first job and it was a really great ensemble of people. As a first gig, it was brilliant and I learnt a lot. It was also so fast-paced. In Emmerdale, we got through 12 episodes in two weeks, while we film one episode in two-and-a-half weeks on Doctor Who, so it really is very different. I will always be grateful to Emmerdale and it was a great experience, but I was ready to leave when I did.”

How excited are you about your new role ITV drama series Victoria?

“I’m delighted to be cast as the young Queen Victoria in this ambitious drama about her life. Victoria is a vivid, strong, inspirational and utterly fascinating woman. I can’t wait to tell her story!”

Doctor Who, BBC1

Filming will start on Victoria, a new eight-part epic drama about Queen Victoria starring Jenna Coleman, in October.

Jenna said: “I am delighted to be cast as Queen Victoria in this ambitious drama of her life. She is a vivid, strong, inspirational and utterly fascinating woman in British history and I can't wait to tell her story.”

The ambitious eight-part drama follows the early life of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18, through to her courtship and marriage to Price Albert.

Victoria went on to rule for 63 years, and was our longest serving monarch until she was overtaken by Elizabeth II on 9th September this year.

Victoria will be made by Mammoth Screen, producers of Poldark (BBC1) and Endeavour (ITV), and the series is created and written by novelist Daisy Goodwin, in her screenwriting debut. The series will open with a 90-minute episode, followed by seven one-hour episodes.

The news comes following reports that Jenna had filmed her last scenes on Doctor Who. She's played the Doctor's assistant Clara Oswald for the past three years.

The BBC is reporting that Jenna Coleman is will leave Doctor Who later this year, probably before the Christmas special.

Jenna joined Doctor Who in 2012 and been the companion to two Doctors – Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that her first role post-Doctor Who will be playing Queen Victoria in an ITV drama series.

Jenna, 29, first came to public attention as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale in 2005, and is expected to play the Queen from the age of 18, although ITV said it was not making 'any announcements about casting presently'.

ITV announced in May they would be making an eight-part series about the life of Queen Victoria.

Filming starts on the Queen Victoria drama later this month and it's thought that Jenna has already filmed her final scenes for Doctor Who.

The BBC has declined to confirm Jenna's departure from Doctor Who.

Earlier this week, Jenna told Radio Times: "You're in Doctor Who knowing it will never last... It's constantly regenerating, so you want to make your time count and enjoy the adventure for the fleeting time you're here."

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi did not want a romance between his character and Jenna Coleman’s Clara, his assistant, in the new series.

“It would have been completely creepy,” he told the Radio Times. “It’s fine if you have handsome young men like Matt (Smith) and David Tennant, but as a father I felt it would be inappropriate.”

As the 12th incarnation of the Time Lord, Capaldi is 57 and actress Coleman, who has played the Doctor’s assistant Clara Oswald since 2012, is 29.

(Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Having made a name for himself as The Thick Of It’s Malcolm Tucker, he says the lack of romance between the Doctor and his assistant has 'forged a huge bond' between himself and Jenna.

“There’s no romance,” he explained, “but there’s deep love.”

Jenna, also known for her role as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale, said starring alongside a new Doctor was exciting but scary.

“The Doctor, who is my best friend, is not only in a different body, but he’s also getting to know himself,” she said.

“Age made no difference. He’s an alien. We’re not lovey-dovey. Everything is more about what is unsaid, rather than said. Clara may seem like a control freak, but she’s trying to control the uncontrollable.”

The ninth series of the hit BBC One show premieres on September 19, with Steven Moffat at the helm once again.

A lot has been made of the relationship between the Doctor and his assistant, given that in the last series their relationship was really put through its paces.

Steven with Jenna (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

The show is a phenomenon all over the world and Peter said: “I’m amazed at the audience reaction and don’t really know why it is."

As for its popularity on other shores, he said: “Unlike other sci-fi, Doctor Who has a domestic element – the Tardis could turn up in the Mall or a coffee shop – but it catches fire abroad, in culturally different places, particularly with students and young adults. I suppose it offers escapism.”

Not unlike the escapism acting offered a young Capaldi, who grew up in Glasgow and says he was mocked relentlessly and called Moon Man.

“It was the Apollo landings and I spent my entire life writing letters to Nasa who sent pictures to me. I was a geek before the word was invented.”

Geek has turned into chic for him though, as he joins a long list of unusual stars who’ve earned themselves 'sex symbol' status.

(BBC)

“I’m the same person I was when I wasn’t a sex symbol. Fame is such a privilege and any downside is a small price to pay. It’s slightly different, though, because people think they’re meeting Doctor Who, an icon, and not me,” he says.

Jenna herself ventured to Los Angeles at 22, to seek fame and fortune there. She returned after four months feeling “great and fearless”.

Neither she nor Peter will estimate how much longer they think they will be in the series.

“You never feel you’ve arrived,” she said, “which is a good thing. It would be quite scary to feel safe. You’re in Doctor Who knowing it will never last. It’s constantly regenerating, so you want to make your time count and enjoy the adventure for the fleeting time you’re here”.

The Doctor proved his dry sense of humour by commenting on the 'upset' caused when lizard woman Madame Vastra kissed her human wife, Jenny Flint, on screen in the last series.

Viewers complained the BBC was promoting a gay agenda.

Peter said: “I think it was good… Actually it’s not just lesbian. It’s across species, which is even worse, presumably. It’s crazy if people get up in arms about it. There should be lots more kissing in Doctor Who. So long as it’s not the Doctor and Clara.”

With the new series of Doctor Who premiering in two weeks (BBC1, Saturday, September 19) with The Magician’s Apprentice - the first of an epic two-parter - star Peter Capaldi told What's On TV what to expect…

Can you set the scene for series nine of Doctor Who?

“When viewers join the series, the Doctor and Clara are celebrating their freedom to roll through time and space wherever they want to go. They’re really excited about the idea of adventure. But of course, this being Doctor Who, that’s dangerous because of the perils they encounter. You can’t have a good time for too long in Doctor Who, you’ll have to pay for it somewhere down the line.”

Tell us about the opening episode The Magician's Apprentice?

“It's fabulous - the story is going to take us across the universe into all types of dark, terrifying and funny places. It’s a particularly epic one to start, with lots of old favourites, Missy and the Daleks are returning and particularly for those who are nostalgic with the Daleks of the 1960s, there are some special surprises in store...”

One enemy The Doctor didn’t bank on facing again was Missy (Michelle Gomez), the evil rogue Time Lord who caused such turmoil last series. What’s it like to have Michelle back again?

“I’ve loved working with Michelle Gomez again and I’m not surprised Missy turned out to be such a popular Doctor Who character. But the mechanics of their story are slightly different this time as the Doctor and Missy sort of help each other!”

Missy’s mysterious reappearance leads Clara and the Doctor to encounter another dangerous adversary – the Daleks! You must be thrilled to be in a two-part adventure with such a classic enemy?

“It’s good to have the Daleks back, and so many of them! And they’re not all CGI-created on screen either. It was very exciting to enter that set, as it had a lovely 1960s feel about it!”

Has Clara quit her teaching job?

“No she’s still there teaching. I love having the school and the fact that the younger audience can relate to that in a very clear way.”

As a big fan of Doctor Who since you were a boy, do you still look at the show with a fan’s excited eye rather than being the lead actor doing a job?

“I’m always excited because there’s always something fun in it that I really like and I’m always excited to see a new monster or an old monster. I don’t get giddy or breathless with excitement, but there is a very warm honeyish feeling when you walk into a room full of Daleks or you see the Zygons!”

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has revealed that villages of vikings and a city of Daleks the new series, which starts in September.

Peter was talking about the Time Lord’s new adventures at Comic-Con in the United States recently.

“Soaring through all of time and space, series nine sees the Doctor throw himself into life with a new hunger for adventure,” Peter says.

“The Cosmos is there for the taking, thrilling, epic and enticing, and his to play in.

“But he’s almost reckless in his abandon. It’s almost like he’s running from something, something that if it ever catches him will turn his life upside down.”

Meanwhile, a battle of another kind has been debated between Peter and Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat.

Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffatt (Ian West/PA)

Steven has joked that he would triumph over Peter in a battle of who is most knowledgeable about the hit show.

The show’s lead writer and executive producer was asked at the Edinburgh International Television Festival if he was daunted by having to work closely with Peter – someone whose knowledge of the show and love of it could possibly exceed his own.

Doctor Who Daleks. Did someone call an exterminator? (BBC)

Doctor beware! (BBC)

(BBC)

Steven replied: “His love, we can compete on that, just let it be understood. But in a face-off, in a head-to-head, he’s nowhere bloody close.”

Steven added: “I’m ahead on knowledge. I am. Honestly.”

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 on September 19.

Doctor Who stars Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are seen running away from a giant explosion on a foreign planet in a new picture released by the BBC.

The opening episode of the ninth series, due to screen on BBC1 on September 19, will see the return of The Doctor’s nemesis Missy, AKA The Master, played by Michelle Gomez, and it looks like the Time Lord and his companion will be in some trouble.

Missy is back (BBC)

The new series of the hit sci-fi show promises to introduce a spine-chilling new gang of monsters including a species called the Mire, as well as a whole city full of Daleks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB8fh4QUy-A&feature=oembed

Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams is among those making guest appearances in season nine, along with Paul Kaye, Rufus Hound and Peter’s former The Thick Of It co-star Rebecca Front.

Maisie Williams on the set of Doctor Who (BBC)

The series will also see the return of UNIT stalwarts Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver.

Ingrid Oliver will be back as Osgood in the new series of Doctor Who (BBC)

And we also know that the ninth season will feature Vikings.

A date for your diary. 19 September. http://t.co/CB4igTlgFV #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/dP8RWtRUHH

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) July 9, 2015

The long wait is over for Doctor Who fans... the new trailer for series nine has been shown at Comic-Con 2015 and it's revealed a few key things.

See it below in all its glory and look out for some characters old and new…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB8fh4QUy-A&feature=oembed

Stars Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez and showrunner Steven Moffat spoke to fans at the Comic-Con Doctor Who panel as the new footage was unveiled.

Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman at Comic-Con (Chris Pizzello/AP)

So here are the five key things we learned along the way.

1. The new series will be hitting our telly screens on September 19.

A date for your diary. 19 September. http://t.co/CB4igTlgFV #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/dP8RWtRUHH

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) July 9, 2015

2. Missy, aka The Master, is back, but we still have no idea how she’ll return…

THE FIRST TRAILER FOR THE NEW SERIES OF #DOCTORWHO IS HERE: http://t.co/trKchdnwFS What d’you think? pic.twitter.com/A0PzFYwMUN

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) July 9, 2015

3. Maisie Williams is featured in the new trailer and we’re dying to know who she is.

She can be seen saying to the Doctor: “What took you so long, old man?” All we know about her role is what Peter Capaldi himself has said, describing it as "cosmic".

“What took you so long, old man?” See @Maisie_Williams in the new trailer: http://t.co/JD40DdnFBJ #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/irADaS4mou

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) July 9, 2015

4. The Doctor and Clara’s relationship has evolved.

Speaking at the panel, Jenna said: "There’s a freedom, I think. It's our glory years. It's really adrenaline-fuelled. It's all about pushing the adventure right up to the edge."

5. There will be Vikings.

'Doctor Who' Season 9: More adventure, more darkness, more vikings http://t.co/yD9RHOpRbB #ComicCon pic.twitter.com/s1acM2CXkl

— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) July 10, 2015

Jenna Coleman DID intend to leave Doctor Who after the eighth series, Steven Moffat has revealed.

The actress, who has played the Time Lord’s companion Clara Oswald since 2012, had planned to quit the BBC sci-fi show in 2014, but will rejoin Peter Capaldi for the upcoming ninth season after changing her mind.

The programme’s showrunner Steven told Doctor Who magazine that the series eight finale, the episode titled Death In Heaven, was originally meant to be Jenna’s final appearance.

Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi will unite for another series (Ian West/PA)

“That was her last episode,” he said. “And then she asked me if she could be in [the] Christmas [special]. So I said, ‘OK, I’ll write you out in Christmas’.

“She came to the read through and did the ‘write out’ version – and again changed her mind.”

The 53-year-old screenwriter and producer, who has worked on Doctor Who since 2004, said he 'never wanted' Jenna to leave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFZaqsaJ4eE&feature=oembed

“I didn’t really want Death In Heaven to be her last episode,” he explained. “And with Last Christmas, I’d already written the alternative version where she stayed, and I preferred that version.

“Frankly, I didn’t want to lose her. She’s an amazing actress, and she never stops working to make Clara better. I was very happy to go the extra mile to make sure we could keep her.”

Steven with Jenna (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Doctor Who, starring Peter as the lead character, will return to BBC One in the autumn, and Steven teased he could be headed into a lighter direction.

“We’re not bringing him back exactly as we left him, at all. I think that was already evident at Christmas. He’s left some of the burden of being a superhero of the universe behind,” he said.

“So I’m pushing him – I’m writing quite funny this year – I’m pushing him the other way…”

Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman have today started filming Doctor Who series 9, and there's star-studded guest cast alongside them.

Comedian Paul Kaye, who also played Thoros of Myr in Game of Thrones, is starring in the first two-part adventure currently shooting in Cardiff. Paul says he's a been big fan of the sci-fi show since childhood.

"As a kid of the 1970s, the two shows you always watched were Top of the Pops and Doctor Who, they were unmissable. I actually wrote a song called 'Looking for Davros' in my first punk band and I sang it like a demented Dalek. I got to present Top Of The Pops back in the mid 1990s and landing this role in Doctor Who completes the dream double. 

"Peter is a perfect Doctor and I'm loving every minute of the experience, even the five hours in make-up. What a treat, best 50th birthday present ever!"

Also starring in these two episodes, written by Being Human creator Toby Whithouse, are Morven Christie, who recently played the role of Amanda in ITV's Grantchester, Arsher Ali who played the part of Malik Suri in BBC1's The Missing, Casualty and Midsomer's Sophie Stone, plus Colin McFarlane who keen-eyed EastEnders fans will remember as DCI Irving in the Lucy Beale murder investigation.

Current Doctor Peter Capaldi says he's glad to be back in the TARDIS. "The adventures begin again for myself and Jenna and I'm delighted to be back filming my second series of Doctor Who."

Doctor Who series 9 premieres this autumn on BBC1.

The festive period is a busy time for Time Lords - last Christmas Matt Smith was battling the Daleks before regenerating as Peter Capaldi – and this year’s Doctor Who special is no exception.

Writer Steven Moffat has described ‘Last Christmas’ as a buddy movie mash-up of Miracle On 34th Street meets Alien, with a decent fright factor. And it features Hot Fuzz star Nick Frost as Santa Claus.

“For the first time the Doctor comes face-to-face with the real Santa Claus and that is totally kosher,” Peter says, in the Daily Express.

“It’s not a robot dressed up as Santa, or an alien being. It’s absolutely Santa Claus. It’s the real thing.”

One of the running jokes in the episode is the slightly antagonistic relationship between the Doctor and Santa.

Filming a Christmas special was a strange experience for a lifelong fan of the show, Peter admits.

“Since the specials started [in 2005] I’ve made sure we build our Christmas Day around it – not realising that, one day, I would be part of it as well. It’s a bit terrifying because it’s in that old Morecambe and Wise slot. There’s always a bit of concern whether it will be successful or not.”

The action begins when Santa crash-lands his sleigh on Clara’s roof. Shortly afterwards, the Doctor and Clara (Jenna Coleman) find themselves on a polar base “under attack from terrifying creatures”.

Something “very powerful and deceptive and not to be trusted,” says Peter. “And lethal – in a final way.”

Lethal for who?

“You’ll just have to wait and see. But some strange things happen to Clara,” adds Peter.

Peter says he will spend Christmas Day strapped in front of the telly, pushing chocolate into his mouth. But as for watching the special, he’s undecided.

“I’m not crazy about watching myself,” he admits. “But I like Doctor Who so I’m trapped! I think I probably will watch it, yeah.”

Doctor Who, BBC1, Christmas Day, 6.15pm

Jenna Coleman has insisted that she will not reveal whether or not she is leaving Doctor Who.

The actress, currently on screen with new Time Lord Peter Capaldi, is rumoured to be quitting her role as companion Clara in the sci-fi show.

But she told Radio Times magazine: "There's lots of rumours. We've sat down with [showrunner] Steven Moffat and we've all decided we don't want anybody to know which way it's going.

"If you know I'm in the next series - or if you know I'm off - you'll know how the story ends."

Asked about the Christmas episode, she added: "Because there's a surprise we've got coming, it's much better that nobody knows which way it's going to go - so that's where we're trying to keep it at the moment... that's all I should probably say."

But she added of her character: "It all becomes rather chaotic, as you can imagine, and that doesn't work at all - it becomes quite impossible."

Capaldi recently insisted that he was "not looking for a new assistant".

"I don't know where these rumours have started," he said. "What I can say is she is absolutely fabulous.

"She's been called upon to do things that I don't think any other companion has had to do, to show a kind of emotional range and I think she's done it absolutely brilliantly."