Early debut for new Doctor Who star

Doctor Who's new assistant has made a surprise early appearance in the first episode of the new series.

Fans saw the character played by Jenna-Louise Coleman trapped inside the skeleton of a dalek - and seemingly doomed - in last night's episode.

The actress will replace Amy Pond and her husband Rory, played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, as the Timelord's companion during this series.

She said: "Boo! Hello! Hope we gave you a good surprise! Thanks to all the fans who kept it quiet and made it so! More to come...watch this space!"

Show supremo Steven Moffat thanked everyone involved in keeping the secret.

He said: "I hope you all got a nice surprise when Jenna popped up in Doctor Who several months early. If so, that surprise came to you courtesy of the frankly magnificent ladies and gentlemen of the press, and of the many Doctor Who forums and blogs too. This show has been seen at four separate screenings, across four different countries and yet not one person gave one spoiler. From all of us on Doctor Who, a heartfelt thank you for helping us tell our story."