Doctor Who's gearing up for its next series, and we now know who's going to be joining new Doctor Jodie Whittaker when the show returns in 2018.

The Chase host Bradley Walsh is a regular cast member and will be joined by Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill. The BBC made the news official on Sunday night (October 22), sharing a photo of all three of them alongside Jodie on the official Doctor Who Twitter feed.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Meet the 13th Doctor's new friends! Yasmin (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole), and Graham (Bradley Walsh) #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/6l9iVkvu0d — Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) October 22, 2017

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Bradley, who was rumoured to be joining Doctor Who in some capacity just weeks after Jodie was confirmed to be taking over the TARDIS from Peter Capaldi, will be playing a character named Graham – we don't know much more than that at this stage.

It's unlikely that Bradley's new commitments will impact *too* much on The Chase, given he recently said: "As long as they continue to ask me, I'll continue to make it."

He sounds thrilled to be joining Doctor Who, saying: "I remember watching William Hartnell as the First Doctor. Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself.

"I was petrified, but even though I'd watch most of it from behind the sofa through my fingers, I became a fan.

Jeff Spicer Getty Images

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"I then queued up for ages to get into the Carlton picture house in Watford to watch the great Peter Cushing appear as the Doctor in a full-length feature film made in glorious colour.

"Am I thrilled to be part of this whole ground breaking new dawn for The Doctor? Oh yes!"

Bradley's previous acting credits, of course, include Coronation Street, Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures and Law & Order: UK, where he previously worked with incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.

As for Mandip, who's playing a character called Yasmin, she made her major TV debut back in 2012 as Phoebe Jackson on Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

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She's also appeared on the BBC's Doctors and Casualty, and you'll soon be able to see her in Kay Mellor's new drama Love, Lies and Records.

Mandip said she's "over the moon" to be joining the show, describing it as "worlds away" from her previous work and adding: "Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didn't believe it to be true for the first few weeks.

"To be working alongside the likes of Jodie, Bradley and my old friend Tosin is thrilling."

Tosin will be playing a character named Ryan. He's another Hollyoaks graduate, playing Neil Cooper on the soap between 2011 and 2012. His other credits include EastEnders: E20 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Maarten de Boer Getty Images

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"I'm grateful and excited to be a part of this journey with the team," said Tosin. "I'm looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe."

Chris Chibnall added: "The new Doctor is going to need new friends. We're thrilled to welcome Mandip, Tosin and Bradley to the Doctor Who family.

"They're three of Britain's brightest talents and we can't wait to see them dive into brand new adventures with Jodie's Doctor."

Chris also confirmed that former Holby City star and Olivier Award winner Sharon D Clarke will join the show, and the BBC added she'll be appearing in a "returning role".

David M Benett Getty Images

We don't know who Sharon is playing yet, and her character's name hasn't been revealed – could she be an old friend or foe of The Doctor?

One more thing we do know about Doctor Who series 11 – it's been confirmed that there will be 10 episodes, most of them 50 minutes long.

The exception will be the premiere, which is going to be an hour-long episode.

Doctor Who series 11 will premiere in Autumn 2018 on BBC One.

This year's festive special 'Twice Upon a Time', starring Peter Capaldi in his final appearance as the Twelfth Doctor, David Bradley as the First Doctor and introducing Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, airs during Christmas 2017's schedule.

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