Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston reveals which historical figure he wants the Ninth Doctor to meet

The Emmy-winning actor is returning to the worlds of Doctor Who for a new series of Big Finish audio adventures and upcoming stories will tick certain fan-pleasing boxes - including having Nine meet the Cybermen and the Brigadier, neither of which he did during his original 13-episode TV run.

But speaking to Den of Geek, Eccleston revealed that he is keen for his Doctor to meet a certain historical figure and to explore "the feminization of Doctor Who" in a future outing.

"Russell T. Davies’s great strength was to really elevate the female in Doctor Who," he said. "I think Russell writes brilliantly for women.

“I think it’s time for the doctor to meet the Cyberwomen in the 21st Century. We’ve had enough Cybermen."

He added: "I would very much like the Doctor to meet Emily Davison, who threw herself in front of the Derby winner and was one of the forerunners of the feminist movement—and a martyr for it. I think that would be extraordinary, for him to mix with Emily Davison, and Emmeline Pankhurst – and explore that.

"As I’ve said earlier, he’s very drawn to the feminine and I think that it’s great we now have a female Doctor – I think we should take that further in the way that we look at history, and look at it through a female lens. I think the Doctor would respond very well to that."

Eccleston also addressed the controversies surrounding changes to Doctor Who's established history, suggesting the long-running series needs to "explode the canon" if it "wants to survive".

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures – Volume One: Ravagers will be released by Big Finish in May 2021. Listen to the latest RadioTimes.com Doctor Who podcast to hear our thoughts on Nine’s big comeback.

Check out our TV Guide to find something to watch, or visit our Sci-fi hub for all the latest news. The Radio Times Easter issue is out now.