Christopher Eccleston had a challenging job when he took on the role of Doctor Who. The last time the BBC attempted to reboot the series, with Paul McGann back in 1996, they unfortunately failed and it was left in development limbo, waiting for the right person to take on the Time Lord mantel.
In 2005, Eccleston managed to win over the hearts of both fans and critics, being voted the third most popular Doctor of all time. So why was he only on the show for one series?
In an interview with Radio 4, the actor explained that he left because he had clashed with bosses: "Myself and three individuals at the very top of the pyramid clashed so off I went.
“I don’t think it’s important that I left. I think it's important that I did it in the first place. I'm still there: I was in David Tennant, I was in Matt Smith, I was in Peter Capaldi. I'm always there in spirit."
In pictures: What the Doctors did next
Eccleston said he didn’t want to go into details but did admit he believes he made mistakes playing the role: "I think I over-pitched the comedy. If I had my time again, I would do the comedy very different - but I think where I did possibly succeed was in the tortured stuff - surprise surprise!"
In other Doctor Who news, Time Lord Sylvest McCoy recently said he believes they could not cast a female doctor as it would “ruin the dynamic” between the doctor and the assistant.
“I’m a feminist and recognise there are still glass ceilings in place for many women, but where would we draw the line? A Mr Marple instead of Miss Marple? A Tarzanette?
The Doctor looks pensively as he holds a tangerine
“I support feminism, but I’m not convinced by the cultural need of a female Doctor Who.”
Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat sparked debate last year when he said he hoped a woman would step into the Time Lord’s shoes one day.
“We’ve been lying on the possibility for an awfully long time, but you don’t cast that way. I know I’m going to get in trouble for saying that – you cast a person, you don’t cast the gender.”
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Helen Mirren has previously called on Doctor Who bosses to seriously consider an actress for the role.
