Doctor Who is going to have to find a companion to replace the vacancy left by Jenna Coleman’s departure. Rakhee Thakrar might be just what the show needs.

The Doctor Who plan in the near future includes the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special, followed by season 10. So far, we don’t have an official season 10 launch date. We only know that those episodes will air in spring 2017. Season 10 will also be Steven Moffat’s final as showrunner.

Technically speaking Clara is, with apologies to Monty Python, “not quite dead yet.” When we last left Clara, she was in-between heartbeats whizzing around the galaxy with Ashildhr, played by Maisie Williams. Nonetheless, neither Clara nor Ashildr is coming back for the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas Special let alone season 10. Not quite dead yet, doesn’t translate into a comeback. Jenna Coleman, who played Clara, has moved on to other projects including a run as Queen Victoria. On top of that, last week, Williams told BangShowbiz, “Everyone’s hyping about it, which is very exciting, but I guess that’s more of a publicity thing. But no, I’m not going to return, I have a lot of other really exciting projects lined up instead.”

The series has certainly survived with a companionless Doctor before during Christmas specials. The Tenth Doctor spent Christmas with Donna Noble as a runaway bride, aboard the Titanic with Astrid Peth, and fought Cybermen with the deluded Doctor, Jackson Lake. Having a proper companion in place for the Christmas special might be nice, but it isn’t exactly a requirement.

The one thing that is imperative; however, is that the Doctor have a companion in place for series 10. Assuming Peter Capaldi isn’t bowing out after this year’s Christmas episodes, Steven Moffat is going to have to find himself a companion. Right now the rumor mill, according to the Radio Times, has zeroed in on Rakhee Thakrar. They claim that insiders have revealed that, “auditions are poised to begin for the part with Thakrar – who won plaudits from the soap’s [East Ender’s] producers and fans.”

As you would expect, the BBC and Thakrar have been silent, not confirming or denying the rumor. On the other hand, Thakrar retweeted a Radio Times article back on February 8, 2016 that pondered who should audition for the companion vacancy.

Thakrar just finished up a stint on the long-running, U.K. soap opera East Enders. She played a woman of Pakistani heritage, and she received wide praise for her acting in a storyline that included a stillbirth.

Regardless of whether these rumors prove to have any merit, we like the idea of again bringing diversity back to the role of the companion. Martha Jones was the last main companion of color. Given the U.K.’s diverse population, with many citizens tracing their heritage to India and Pakistan, a companion with Thakrar’s background and acting chops would be welcome.

Going on past filming schedules, the BBC is going to have to announce the new companion by the summer as filming tends to start about six months before new episodes air. We aren’t exactly out of time yet.

Are you familiar with Rakhee Thakrar’s work?