“We’re delighted to confirm the brilliant Richard E Grant is appearing in the new series of #DoctorWho. More news later@ bbc.in/G19iB”

— Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) August 5, 2012

REG is to star in the Christmas edition of Doctor Who, the BBC has announced.

Richard said he was “honoured” to be in the Christmas special, which starts filming today. No details have been released of his role in the show, although it is rumoured he will play the villain. He will be joined by Tom Ward who, until recently, has played Harry Cunningham in BBC One’s Silent Witness. The episode will also introduce The Doctor’s new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. it’s believed that the new companion is called Clara.

An insider said: “The Doctor Who Christmas specials are famous for being stand-out episodes and this year’s will be no different.

“It will have a really festive feel and Richard will be great as a baddie.”

Grant added: “I played Doctor Who in the digital animated Scream Of The Shalka episode and I’m honoured to be in the Christmas special.”

Richard has previously played the time-travelling Doctor himself in 2003, in the online animated series Scream of the Shalka, as well as the unofficial “Tenth Doctor”, aka “The Quite Handsome Doctor”, in a 1996 Comic Relief sketch. For the spoof, which was written by Steven Moffat, he was cast alongside Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley and Jim Broadbent. His incarnation of the Doctor described himself as “cute, sexy and lick-the-mirror handsome”. The spoof had viewers in hysterics as a lady-loving new Doctor.

Last week the BBC issued new artwork for the series ahead of its return to TV screens later this month. The image shows the Doctor, surrounded by Daleks from various eras of the sci-fi show, carrying a seemingly injured Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan.

Saul Metzstein is directing this special, as well as several other episodes of the new series, including two thirds of what you would have seen in the recent trailer.