Regular cast members Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will also be joined by opera diva Katherine Jenkins, in her first acting role, alongside Laurence Belcher (Little Dorrit), Leo Bill (Jekyll), Micah Balfour (The Bill) and Pooky Quesnel (EastEnders).

Writer Steven Moffat comments: “Oh, we’re going for broke with this one. It’s all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters and the Doctor and a honeymoon and – oh, you’ll see. I’ve honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I’m fairly sure they did it ironically.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, says: “Matt Smith and Karen Gillan captivated audiences in their debut series and Doctor Who‘s clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol will thrill BBC One viewers this year with special guest stars Sir Michael Gambon and singing sensation Katherine Jenkins joining Amy and the Doctor for an unforgettable present!”