The True Story Behind Christopher Eccleston's Doctor Who Exit
4. Stories Of On-Set Troubles Emerge In The Years After Eccleston's Departure
The abrupt nature of Eccleston's departure and the poor handling of the announcement by the BBC has led to it being revisited in various interviews with the actor conducted. In June 2010, Eccleston hit the headlines when, while promoting a drama about John Lennon, he was asked about his departure. In response, he stated that:
"I didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in.
"I thought if I stay in this job, I'm going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong."
As an actor who is from a staunch working class, trade union background, it's unsuprising that he left, rather than be complicit in a perceived toxic workplace. It's unclear if this refers to series 1's over-running shoots, Eccleston's rumoured disagreements with director Keith Boak, or something else entirely.
In 2018, Eccleston elaborated further, suggesting that something had gone very badly wrong between when he excitedly emailed RTD to offer to play the Doctor and his eventual departure:
“My relationship with my three immediate superiors – the showrunner, the producer and co-producer – broke down irreparably during the first block of filming and it never recovered. They lost trust in me, and I lost faith and trust and belief in them.”