Christopher Eccleston says Doctor Who is a ‘bit of a boys’ club’

Actor said the BBC sci-fi series should ‘look at history through a female lens’

Christopher Eccleston has said that Doctor Who is still a “boys’ club”, calling for the long-running sci-fi series to include more female writers, characters and villains.

The actor played the Ninth Doctor during the first series of the programme’s revival, which aired back in 2005. He has recently reprised the role for an audio series.

Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine (per Digital Spy), the actor said: “Russell T Davies writes the Doctor as one Doctor; Steven Moffat writes him as another; Rob Shearman writes him, he’s another. Bit of a boys’ club, though. We need to address that.

“We need some more Cyberwomen, we need female writers. It needs to be addressed, particularly as the Doctor has such a pronounced, for want of a better phrase, feminine side, and such an enthusiastic engagement with the female.”

The Doctor is currently played by Jodie Whittaker. In the interview, Eccleston suggested sending the famous Timelord back to meet Emily Davidson, and Emmeline Pankhurst.

“You know, it’s great that we now have a female Doctor, and I think we should take that further in the way we look at history. Look at it through a female lens,” he said.

Actor Noel Clarke, who appeared as Mickey Smith in 14 episodes of Doctor Who, was recently accused of sexual misconduct on the set of the hit BBC sci-fi.

The actor and producer has vehemently denied all claims.