Doctor Who has brought happiness to many viewers and several of its actors have spoken warmly about their time on the series including David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker and current Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa.
The BBC science fiction show began in 1963 and over time has welcomed many actors into the unique universe, but unfortunately, not all of them have fully enjoyed it.
Christopher Eccleston has openly discussed what he did not like about being in charge of the tardis from 2005.
The actor was the lead star in the revived show but left after only one series despite being popular with the fans, which led to speculations about the reasons. He told the Guardian that the BBC mishandled the situation.
‘What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career,’ the 60-year-old told The Guardian.
‘I gave them a hit show and I left with dignity and then they put me on a blacklist. I was carrying my own insecurities as it was something I had never done before and then I was abandoned, vilified in the tabloid press and blacklisted. I was told by my agent at the time: “The BBC regime is against you. You’re going to have to get out of the country and wait for regime change”.’
He later told The Radio Times: ‘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.’ Speaking at a 2023 For the Love of Sci-Fi convention, he told the audience that he’d return to the show only if creatives, including showrunner Russell T Davies were sacked (via Dan of Geek).
Billie Piper – his companion on the show – recently told The Independent she now knows about his struggles: ‘I now know that he was having a hard time, but I’m not sure I understood at the time how troubled he was with it all.
‘I was going through a lot of personal stuff – I think that’s where my focus was,’ she added.
He isn’t the only actor to not have only joyous things to say…
Carole Ann Ford
Carole was there at the very start of the Doctor Who phenomenon taking on a role in the debut episode.
She played Susan Foreman for two years before departing ‘incredibly annoyed’ and leaving acting entirely shortly after.
‘They told me Susan was going to be an Avengers-type girl – with all the kapow of that – plus she would have telepathic powers. She was going to be able to fly the Tardis as well as her grandfather (the first Doctor played by William Hartnell) and have the most extraordinary wardrobe. None of that happened,’ she explained to the Telegraph.
She quit after finding her storylines, such as always being saved, ‘repetitive’. Carol, 83, is jealous of the women who’ve come after her: ‘How