We all have aspects of our pasts that we wish we could take back. Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston opened up recently about one of his own.
On a show that focuses as much on inclusion and togetherness as Doctor Who does, it may seem strange to imagine that one of the key pieces in helping shape the new series was a bully in their younger days. After all, the show looks to show the value of everyone, regardless of their appearance or other issues, with the Doctor as their main defender.
However, that was the case in Christopher Eccleston’s younger days. He was the face of the Diana Award prevention campaign called Stand Up To Bullying, going on the Good Morning Britain show where he admitted to bullying a classmate in his younger days.
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Although his actions were relatively harmless, just forcing him to give Eccleston some of his food, the actions have stuck with him throughout his life. He did manage to stop himself from bullying in the future, and wants to apologize to that former classmate, but those actions are still a part of his memories.
It is interesting to know this about Eccleston’s past. It also leads to the question of what was going through his mind when he referred to Mickey as being stupid continually. Did those scenes bring these memories back to the forefront, with Eccleston having to relive the past again?
He is certainly doing his best to atone for his behavior then. While he has not been able to speak with that classmate, taking part in these efforts to stop bullying can help ease his mind and potentially make the future better for other kids that were in that same situation. And, perhaps by being the face of this program, he can reconnect with his former classmate and get the closure he is looking for.
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