14 Tales From The History Of Doctor Who From William Hartnell To Jodie Whittaker

This one is a fairly well known secret - Christopher Eccleston did NOT enjoy his time in the TARDIS. Instead, he has been left with something resembling PTSD from his experiences, all of which are lost in the murk of press releases.

The inital (public) issue seems to stem from a release, purportedly by him, announcing his departure from the show after one season. He was quick to deny that this came from him, which the BBC later confirmed.

He would cite issues both on-set and off as his reasons for leaving, particularly mentioning Russell T. Davies as a factor in his decision to leave. The pair had worked together on previous projects, most notably The Second Coming. He identified Davies, along with 'the producer and co-producer' as having been part of an irreconcilable breakdown in relations.

The rumours continued to abound about what exactly happened, though Eccleston has said that playing the part was a career highlight for him. In 2018, in response to more speculation as to why he didn't return for the anniversary special, he indicated that he felt the BBC put him on a blacklist after he left - putting the blame squarely on them.

A bright spark though is that he has signed on to reprise the role in a Big Finish production, so the Ninth Doctor will finally be returning in some form at least.