Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry to guest in Doctor Who

Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry will appear in the new series of \'Doctor Who\'.

The former \'Q.I.\' host and the 61-year-old comedian will guest star in the opening adventure of the BBC sci-fi series, in what has been teased as "one of [the show\'s] biggest ever stories".

Stephen, 62, admitted being part of the iconic series is one of the most exciting things he\'s ever done.

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He said: "Short of being picked for a British space exploration programme - and I readily concede that I\'m past the age where I\'d be considered (if I was ever the right age for such a posting) - then being in an episode of Doctor Who will certainly do as a very sweet second-place excitement."

And Lenny - who previously worked with the Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker, and showrunner Chris Chibnall on \'Broadchurch\' - had a "brilliant" time on set.

He said: "It was absolutely brilliant to be welcomed into the fantastical world of Doctor Who.

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"The nearest I have been to the TARDIS was when I played the Caribbean Doctor in \'The Lenny Henry Show\', so as a life-long (hiding behind the sofa type) Doctor Who fan this is a very special moment for me."

Head writer Chris promised the pair\'s casting will help bring the show "back with a bang".

He said in a statement: "\'Doctor Who\' is coming back with a bang - with two great British icons in major roles. One of the great joys of Doctor Who is getting to work with actors from your wish list.

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"Stephen and Lenny are two of my absolute favourite actors - and to be able to bring them into \'Doctor Who\', in our one of our biggest ever stories to kick off the new series, is an absolute thrill."

Details of the characters - including whether they are friends or foes - are being kept under wraps but according to the BBC, "both are more than equipped to come face to face with the Time Lord and her friends."

Fans are expected to find out more on Saturday (23.11.19), when it is believed the first trailer for the new series will be released.