After months of speculation, actress Pearl Mackie has been officially announced as the new companion on Doctor Who! The announcement was made during the semi-final FA Cup match between Manchester United and Everton. Pearl is set to replace Jenna Coleman, who departed the show last season to star in the new series Victoria, about the early life of Britain’s Queen Victoria.

Originally from Brixton, South London, Pearl trained as an actor at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2010. Pearl is currently performing onstage in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Filming for the next season of Doctor Who will begin this year but won’t air until 2017.

The announcement was made with a short scene featuring The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Mackie, whose character will be called “Bill,” running from the murderous Daleks. Upon first impression, there’s a lot to get excited about; Bill seems quirky and fun and she’s asking all the questions anyone new to the game would ask — “Why do they keep saying ‘exterminate?’ Wouldn’t it just be quicker to say, ‘kill?'” She’s the everywoman, thrown into a crazy situation and forced to think quickly and follow the Doctor’s lead to stay alive. And, as past companions have shown, they are capable of bringing out sides of the Doctor no one has ever seen. So, with a new companion, comes a new way to get to know The Doctor all over again.

Big changes are on the way for Doctor Who with the arrival of Bill and the impending departure of producer and showrunner Steven Moffat. Moffat is set to step down at the end of the next season to be replaced by by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall. And, for those of you unfamiliar, Broadchurch stars the 10th Doctor, David Tennant.

So now … only one question remains: Is it 2017 yet?