Christopher Eccleston has revealed that he quit Doctor Who because showbosses wanted him to drop his northern accent whilst in the role.
Christopher Eccleston
Born in the northern city of Salford near Manchester, the 51-year-old starred as the Time Lord for a single series in 2005.
He reflected: "I wanted to move him away from RP [received pronunciation] for the first time because we shouldn't make a correlation between intellect and accent, although that still needs addressing.
"I hope I'll be remembered as one of the Doctors. I have no ill feeling towards the character or the series."
What's more, Christopher - who recently starred in the psychological thriller 'Fortitude' - also claimed it'd be tough for working-class stars to establish their careers in the current climate.
He told Radio Times: "I'm one of those actors they set up for a class rant.
"I still feel insecure, like a lot of my working-class contemporaries. I had a sense acting wasn't for me because I'm not educated.
"I was a skinny, awkward-looking b****r with an accent, as I still am. British society has always been based on inequality, particularly culturally.
"I've lived with it, but it's much more pronounced now, and it would be difficult for someone like me to come through. You can't blame Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and others taking their opportunities but it will lead to a milky, anodyne culture. To an extent that's already happened."
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