Peter Capaldi has revealed that Clara Oswald’s exit storyline is “very clever” but warned fans that they’ll be needing “lots of hankies” when her final moments finally arrive.

Speaking to Nick Grimshaw on his Radio 1 Breakfast Show this morning, the Twelfth Doctor actor was questioned about Jenna Coleman’s forthcoming departure which he described as “very sad”. “You think what’s going to happen will happen but something else happens,” he teased. “That’s the wonderful thing about how these things are done in Doctor Who. It’s not as straightforward as it seems.”

He also reflected on three year tenure in the TARDIS on a more personal level as he hailed his outgoing co-star as “great fun”. “She’s been wonderful to work with,” he said. “I don’t usually get weepy at work, but I found it very hard to say goodbye to her. She’s fabulous.”

Series 9 of Doctor Who will continue on BBC One this Saturday in The Zygon Inversion.