Christopher Eccleston says Doctor Who exit almost destroyed his career

Christopher Eccleston has claimed that his exit from Doctor Who almost destroyed his career in a new interview.

Speaking to The Guardian, Eccleston reflected on his decision to leave the iconic show after just one series and didn't hold back on the BBC's handling of the situation, as well as his role in rebooting the classic show.

"What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career. I gave them a hit show and I left with dignity and then they put me on a blacklist," he alleged.

"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.'"

Digital Spy has reached out to the BBC for comment.

Since his Doctor Who exit, Eccleston has appeared in BBC shows like The Shadow Line and The A Word, but famously turned down the chance to appear in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, something Steven Moffat spoke about earlier this year.

"Christopher Eccleston said no, and that was awful, that was just awful. I was so depressed that day, because I'd written most of the script and he was in it. I didn't know what to do," he recalled.

Doctor Who series 11 is expected to premiere later this year on BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US.

Credit: Digital Spy