Doctor Who series 8: Ben Miller to star alongside Peter Capaldi as new villain

The English comedian will guest star alongside Peter Capaldi in the autumn

Ben Miller will appear alongside new Doctor Peter Capaldi in the eighth series of the BBC sci-fi drama (Rex Features)

Ben Miller will guest star alongside Peter Capaldi as a villain in the new series of Doctor Who this autumn, the BBC has confirmed.

The English actor, one half of comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, will be appearing in the hit sci-fi drama for the first time in an episode penned by Mark Gatiss.

“As a committed Whovian I cannot believe my luck in joining the Twelfth Doctor for one of his inaugural adventures,” he said. “My only worry is that they’ll make me leave the set when I’m not filming.”

Since rising to fame as a comedian, the 48-year-old has achieved success in the drama world, notably in sci-fi series Primeval and more recently as lead character DI Richard Poole in the BBC’s Death in Paradise.

Doctor Who creator Steven Moffat said: “Mark Gatiss has written us a storming villain for his new episode and with Capaldi in the (fictional time machine) TARDIS, we knew we needed somebody special to send everybody behind the sofa.

“Quite frankly, it’s about time Ben Miller was in Doctor Who!”

Capaldi’s new Time Lord and Jenna Coleman’s companion Clara will also be joined by Twenty Twelve's Tom Riley and Line of Duty's Keeley Hawes.

Hawes will play the powerful and otherworldly Ms Delphox in an episode written by Sherlock writer Steve Thompson.