Kylie confirmed for Who Xmas special

Oz popstress embarks on Voyage Of The Damned

The BBC has confirmed that Oz popstress Kylie Minogue will appear in an hour-long Xmas Doctor Who special, enticingly entitled Voyage of the Damned.

Producer and writer Russell T Davies said he was "delighted and excited" to have Minogue on board, adding: "Doctor Who Xmas specials are always a joy and we feel very confident that this will be the most ambitious and best Christmas episode yet."

Kylie enthused: "It is an incredible thrill to be joining David and the entire Doctor Who production for this year's Christmas special. Doctor Who enjoys a unique history and it is going to be very exciting to be a part of that."

The news follows yesterday's announcement that an as-yet-unamed new companion will join the Doctor for series four, scheduled to start shooting in Cardiff this month. ®