Peter Capaldi has outlined his thoughts on The Doctor and his relationship with Clara (played by Jenna Coleman) when series 8 of the BBC’s popular sci-fi show returns.

Peter CapaldiPeter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman won't be flirting, according to the twelfth Doctor

The actor, giving his first official interview surrounding all things Who since he was chosen to take the mantle from Matt Smith, was adamant that there would be no suggestive dialogue or action between he and Coleman to imply that her and the twelfth doctor are anything but inter-galactic, time-hopping companions.

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"There'll be no flirting, that's for sure,” Capaldi said. "It's not what this Doctor's concerned with. It's quite a fun relationship, but no, I did call and say, 'I want no Papa-Nicole moments.' I think there was a bit of tension with that at first, but I was absolutely adamant,” he added. That works for us: Capaldi is 56 while Coleman is 28. 

Capaldi also opened up on the current Doctor’s "madness" in his sit down with The Sunday Times Magazine. He said: "All that's true, but he's also joyful. One thing the show does well is balance the epic and the domestic... This Doctor loves watching stars being born in Andromeda; he's also thrilled to see litter blowing across the supermarket car park at dawn."

Having said that, Capaldi was keen to remind fans that action still plays a very prominent role in the upcoming series. "We still blow a lot of s**t up. That's very important, but it's going to be a bit different from what we've seen over recent years. A bit more gravity,” he said. 

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"Some situations are more sombre and I think there are more rooted dramatic scenes. Over the past two or three years, which I've loved, there has often been a breathless vigour; we still have that attack, but we have another level of drama, another tone. And the scenes are longer."

Series 8 of Doctor Who will kick off on Saturday, August 23.