Richard E. Grant, mostly known for Withnail and I, and lesser known for being the pimple that took over himself in How To Get Ahead In Advertising, has been announced as a special guest in the upcoming seventh season of Doctor Who. It has not been revealed who he will be portraying at this point in time.

The BBC made the announcement today via their Twitterfeed, beforehand telling their followers that an “iconic star” had been cast in the series.

UK newspaper, The Sun, highly regarded as an organization that excels at making up shit, speculates Grant will be the antagonist in the 2012 Christmas Special.

Being that The Sun is rarely associated with Nostradamus, I’d take that with a boulder of salt until the BBC make further official revelations… (that being said though, The Sun DID accurately report the Queen would be plopping out of a plane with 007 for the Olympics waayyy back in April).

For those unaware, Grant already has a bit of a history with Doctor Who. He appeared as a spoof regeneration of the Doctor in The Curse Of The Fatal Death, also featuring Rowan Atkinson, which I’ve embedded below for you to check out. He also voiced an alternative Ninth Doctor in an online animated adventure called The Scream of the Shalka – and is often referred to as "The Shalka Doctor".

It’s believed that Doctor Who Series 7 will be launched on August 25, with the premiere episode Asylum Of The Daleks. Returning with showrunner Steven Moffat, and Matt Smith reprising his role as the Eleventh Doctor, the season will bid the farewell of Amy and Rory (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill), and herald the welcoming of new companion Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman).

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[Source: BBC Twitter, The Sun | Digital Spy]