‘Doctor Who’ season 8 spoilers: Jenna-Louise Coleman weighs in on Matt Smith exit

As upset (and as gutted, to use the British term) as we are about the departure of Matt Smith from “Doctor Who,” there has to be at least one other person out there who is even more emotional about seeing him say goodbye to the famous role: His onscreen companion Jenna-Louise Coleman. We loved Karen Gillan, so the challenge was immense for there to be a new companion that played a significant role in the show and do it well. Luckily, Clara Oswald has fit the bill, and her chemistry with The Doctor is simply incredible.

So who could be taking Smith’s place? Like everyone else in the world right now, Coleman has no idea at all. However, the actress told the BBC following a meeting with the Queen that she is not really trying to have any preference at all in who the producers end up choosing for the part:

“I am completely open, and I have lots of confidence in [head writer] Steven [Moffat] and all the team. And I’m sure they’re very much across it. But we shall see … I just can’t think about it yet. I think because we’ve [Matt and I] got so much left to [do]. We haven’t even begun our goodbye yet. So, I suppose that’s all I can think about at the moment.”

We have a feeling that production is still very much in the early stages of their search, and while there are surely some names that will float around to the press, the truth of the matter is that we’re really inclined not to listen to any of them. Why? Most real negotiations happen in secret, since the actual Doctor won’t want to ruin their chances by having a story leak early.

There are of course many debates waging as to who this new actor could be, but if you want to chime in with some of your thoughts, the best way to do so would be to head on over to the link here. Smith will depart following the upcoming Christmas special, and before the start of season 8.

Photo: BBC One