Jenna Coleman, known for her roles in Doctor Who, Victoria and The Serpent, is set to play a detective in BBC One’s upcoming series The Jetty. The 38-year-old will portray Ember Manning, a detective and mother who uncovers her late husband’s mysterious past while investigating an old missing person case.

Coleman admitted that this is her first time playing a detective, a role she has consciously avoided throughout her career. “My reluctance in the past, as much as I love detective thrillers, has been where you become a vehicle with which to turn the cogs of the story,” she explained.

However, she felt connected to Ember from the start. “Whereas for me, I felt I knew who Ember was as a human from the first page. It felt like a human and emotional story as much as a detective thriller the two co-exist together. That completely hooked me and also the beauty, the themes, the waters of conscious trauma, blurred boundaries, memories. It felt so dense and rich.”

Breaking her own rule, Jenna decided to take on the role of Ember, a character she describes as “rediscovering herself” following her husband’s death.

When a lakeside property in Ember’s Lancashire town is destroyed by a fire, Ember learns that it is connected to the case of Amy Knightly, a teenager who disappeared years before after an illicit relationship with an older man. “The Jetty asks probing questions about identity, sexual boundaries, sexual politics and the awakening of one’s self,” Jenna said, reports OK!.

“She’s investigating a case which becomes very personal to her,” Jenna added. “It’s a very character, human and relationship-driven drama that’s wrapped up as a detective thriller.”

Earlier this year, Jenna announced that she was expecting her first child with partner Jamie Childs – a director who worked with Jenna on Netflix’s The Sandman. The actress debuted her blossoming bump at a press event for The Jetty, looking radiant in a floor length white and pink striped dress at Soho Hotel.