Considering he became one of the most popular Doctors in his very short tenure, I wonder if we'll ever find out the truth about Eccleston's departure from the series? Was it planned or did things simply not go to plan and he walked out/ was pushed out of the series.

I've heard all sorts of theories over the years, and the unfortunate timing of the announcement of his departure set all sorts of conspiracy theories in motion, didn't it? Whether there was any truth in those theories, only time will tell.

Reasons given over the years vary. Officially, RTD said that Eccleston was only ever signed up for one season, and that the regeneration was planned all along with the hope being that it would come as a shock ending to the season (if news of his departure had been kept quiet). Others suggest that Eccleston was unhappy with certain aspects of the production (what exactly seems unclear) and decided to walk.

What do you think really happened? Is RTD telling the truth, or is there really more to the story than meets the eye?