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'Dr. Who' star Jenna-Louise Coleman reveals that she is too 'shy' to date


May 14, 2013
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She may be known as Dr Who's feisty sidekick Clara Oswald, but Jenna-Louise Coleman has admitted that she's too shy to even go on a date. Speaking to the Radio Times, the actress admitted that she finds being alone with another person nerve-wracking. "I've never been on a date in my life ever because the idea of just being sat with one person..." revealed Jenna-Louise, 27. "If I'm with a group of people I'm okay, but actually I'm quite a nervous person if I'm just one-to-one with somebody."

jenna louise © Photo: Getty Images

The actress said that her move from a small school of just eight people to a bigger secondary school when she was 14 led to her more reserved nature. "I've got a lot better as I've got older. I think it was going from eight people in a tiny, tiny school to being surrounded by loads of people. I shrank away, surrounded myself with quite loud friends," said the star. It seems that her shyness hasn't stopped the star from dating Game Of ThronesRichard Madden, who she has been in a relationship with since 2011.

jenna richard © Photo: Getty Images

Jenna met her beau when filming Julian Fellowes' mini-series Titanic in Budapest, where Richard was also filming BBC series Birdsong, also starring Eddie Redmayne.  "When we were there The Borgias and World Without End were also filming, and we'd all go out for drinks," the star previously revealed. The actress joined the Time Lord — Dr Who's nickname — on his travels in 2012, and has said that her role has led to a lot of "pinch-me" moments. "I have a really cool job and get to do these crazy things and you do have so many 'pinch me' moments. I've just been sent emails with pics of the Clara doll." Matt Smith became the eleventh doctor for the sci-fi series in 2010, and has been on hand to offer Jenna-Louise indispensable advice.

matt smith © Photo: Getty Images

"His first advice was never Google yourself and, now that I've got a three-month break, he said take your time and choose your next role carefully. I've read loads of scripts but nothing I'm really in love with." The actress got her lucky break as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerale in 2005, and has since acted in Waterloo Road and original drama series Dancing On The Edge. Jenna-Louise made her first big-screen debut in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011.