The BBC have announced that star of Withnail & I Richard E Grant will appear in the upcoming new series.

Grant had been touted as a possible Doctor himself before Mat Smith’s appointment an even provided the voice of the time traveller in an animated version of the show. Now the BBC are saying that he is the ‘iconic star’ they have been trailing on Twitter.

Little more is known about Grant’s appearance on the show except that it will be the Christmas special, which also features the first appearance of new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Here’s a trailer for the new series of Doctor Who, which starts this month.