It looks like we’re headed for an emotional festive special.

Nicola Coughlan in Doctor Who wearing red jacket and hat

Now that the latest season of Doctor Who has come to a dramatic end, all eyes are on the Christmas special. Yes, it’s a long while away, but there’s already plenty of excitement surrounding the episode, titled Joy to the World, and it’s clear to see why.

Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has penned it, while Bridgerton darling Nicola Coughlan is confirmed for the cast

Moffat recently opened up about what fans can expect from Coughlan’s character, drumming up even more excitement for the upcoming special.

“Nicola is wonderful in it, she will break your heart,” he told Ireland AM.

“I’m not allowed to say anything about it. At least I think I’m not allowed to say anything about it so I’ll just shut up,” he added.

Steven Moffat standing on the set of Doctor Who episode Boom, with a fiery and smoky backdrop of rubble, and actors and crew members out of focus behind him. He has a pair of headphones around his neck and is smiling at the camera.

The former showrunner also revealed that it “wasn’t as weird as it should’ve been” to return to the sci-fi classic.

“It was just fun and it was quite nice that I had my old job back for exactly one episode and then I could go lie down. Russell [T Davies] has to keep toiling away all the time, constantly,” he explained.

Davies himself has also teased what fans can expect from the special.

“I can’t give away much more but work has begun on it already, and it’s mad, it’s one of the maddest Christmas specials you’ll ever see,” he said during a behind the scenes video on YouTube for Empire of Death. “It’s epic, it goes to so many different places. And it’s a great story of who the Doctor is when he’s alone.”