Christopher Eccleston has expanded on his recent comments regarding his impromptu Doctor Who departure.

The actor stepped down from his role as the Ninth Doctor after just one series in 2005 and has previously revealed that he “didn’t enjoy” the atmosphere on set. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends earlier this week, he reaffirmed that his decision to leave the coveted part came down to the fact that he “clashed” with “three individuals at the top of the pyramid”. “But they’re not here to say their side of what happened,” he added. “So I won’t go into the details.”

He continued: “Whenever a story like this emerges, people tend to focus on the negative. It’s important that I did it, not that I left. I’m still there. There were echoes of me in David Tennant and in Matt Smith, and now in Peter Capaldi. So I will always be around in spirit.”

Earlier this week he revealed that he has “no ill feelings” towards the series and its fans.