Fans have been eagerly anticipating the announcement of the brand new Doctor Who companion since Clara’s departure in Series 9, but this weekend’s developments suggest that it’ll be a while until we actually get to see them on screen.

In light of the news that the show will be taking a break this year, with just the now traditional Christmas Special in December to tide us over until next spring, it’s already being speculated that Peter Capaldi’s new co-star won’t actually be introduced until Series 10 in 2017, with this year’s festive episode featuring a “high-profile guest star” instead.

Of course, with filming on Series 10 due to begin in the summer, we will definitely discover the identity of the new companion in 2016, which is still pretty exciting, and you can let us know your hopes and predictions for the Time Lord’s incoming BFF in our discussion, here.

It has also been announced that Series 10, to feature 11 episodes, will be Steven Moffat’s last as its showrunner, with Broadchurch creator and previous Doctor Who and Torchwood contributor Chris Chibnall taking over the reigns for Series 11, confirmed to begin in 2018.

New adventures. New companion. Same Doctor! Read the latest Series 10 news…