Nicola Coughlan had to look up Doctor Who on Wikipedia after she was cast in special

Nicola Coughlan has revealed that she had to look up Doctor Who on Wikipedia after she was cast in the upcoming Christmas special.

The Bridgerton actress, who is starring in this year's Christmas special, knew nothing about the iconic British series until she landed the role and was left thoroughly confused when she tried to learn more about it online.

During an appearance on Friday's episode of The Graham Norton Show, Nicola explained that she couldn't reveal any details about the upcoming special, which will air on Christmas Day, even if she wanted to.

"I can't tell you anything, not because of secrecy but because I had no idea what was going on," she quipped. "I was brought up in Ireland so didn't see it as a child so when I got the part, I looked it up on Wikipedia - it was like reading War and Peace and it was so confusing with monsters and time travel."

Despite struggling to follow the complicated storyline, the Derry Girls star told host Graham that she enjoyed being a part of the show.

"It was a fun experience, and I had a lovely time," she shared. "If they want me back, I would do it again."

Nicola will star in the special as Joy, who checks into a hotel in 2024 but soon discovers a door to the Time Hotel, where she encounters a series of dangers - including dinosaurs - and the time-travelling Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.

In the episode, titled Joy to The World, the Doctor comes to terms with the loss of his partner Ruby, who is at home with her family, but teams up with Joy to fight an old foe and save Christmas.

The Graham Norton Show airs on Friday nights on BBC One.