Jenna Coleman planned to quit Doctor Who last year, the show’s chief writer Steven Moffat has said.

The actress was widely rumoured to be leaving her role as Clara Oswald after a cliff-hanger in the series eight finale, Death In Heaven.    “That was her last episode,” Moffat said. “Then she asked me if she could be in [the] Christmas [episode]. So I said, ‘OK, I’ll write you out in Christmas.'”    “She came to the read through and did the ‘write out’ version – and again changed her mind.”    “But the truth is I never wanted her to go. And with Last Christmas, I’d already written the alternative version where she stayed, and I preferred that version.     “Frankly, I didn’t want to lose her. She’s an amazing actress, and she never stops working to make Clara better.     “I was very happy to go the extra mile to make sure we could keep her.”    Jenna Coleman with Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi Coleman has starred alongside two Doctors – Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi   Coleman, who began her career in ITV soap Emmerdale, will now return for a third series as the Doctor’s companion.