Jenna Coleman 'to leave Doctor Who' to star as Queen Victoria in £10m ITV drama

The actress will leave the BBC1 sci-fi drama after the next series, according to reports

Jenna Coleman stars as the Time Lord's companion Clara in Doctor Who (Getty Images)

Jenna Coleman will reportedly leave Doctor Who after the upcoming ninth series to star as Queen Victoria.

The actress - who currently stars as the Doctor’s companion - has been offered the part of the Victorian monarch in a £10m ITV drama, according to The Mirror.

Coleman, 29, will reportedly play the monarch from when she became queen at the young age of 18 through to the early years of her 63-year reign.

The spokesperson for the BBC said there was 'no comment' on the speculation.

Rumours that Coleman would be leaving the show have been circling for a year, but the 2014 Christmas special confirmed she would stay on for a whole further season of the drama.

She previously teased fans, refusing to let them know the outcome of her character, Clara Oswald.

“We’ve sat down with Steven Moffat and we’ve all decided we don’t want anybody to know which way it’s going,” she told the Radio Times last September.

The actress will play Queen Victoria during the early years of her reign

The new ITV period drama, Victoria, is reported to be in line to replace the Sunday night slot that will be vacated by Downton Abbey when Julian Fellowes’ series ends this Christmas.

The series has been written by novelist Daisy Goodwin and comes from the same producers as Poldark.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One on Saturday 19 September, followed by a Christmas special on Friday 25 December.