Yeah, but there's the interview footage of him which was found a couple of years back. An elderly Ian and Susan can explain they've been zapped by a time ray which aged them. Meanwhile, the Doctor has got stuck in a time loop while going undercover at a theatre, disguised as a pantomime actor in his dressing room.

Actually someone did ask him that question recently and he hinted that he might (although he is probably one of the easier cast members to persuade to return for that series!)

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...paZHH0yQyxFpXY

Is he for real? Mr "I never bathe in the same river twice."

I agree, but at the same time, if he were just to sit down in one interview, say here is everything that happened, here is exactly why I quit, and here is my feeling on whether or not i'd consider coming back in the future, then there would be no need for anyone to pester him on the subject again. People keep on asking because the whole thing seems so shrouded in mystery, and therefore would make for a good article if they could get anything out of him. If he'd just put it all out there years ago he wouldn't have this problem now.

But as he has already said, he won't do that because the people responsible for his decision to leave won't be able to give their side.

I respect Chris more for not giving his reasons (he has said a few things in the years since, so there's that) at the time. Sounds like he maybe attempted to resolve things behind closed doors, or he didn't, either way he left and moved on without feeling the need to bad-mouth or sell a story or make negative press about the show, which is awesome of him. Just a shame that the press - and some fans - just never gave up asking X Y Z. I know they want their scoop or they want to feel, I dunno, better by being nosey, but it was his issue with whoever it was, and there was never any need for things to go further or public.

I'll just leave this video of Chris being a bit silly with Billie Piper behind the scenes here

It's odd because what happened is pretty much an open secret to those of us who work in TV - and CE comes out of it very well, indeed. But until CE actually gives a direct quote about what happened, which given his integrity he seems unlikely ever to do, it remains (frustratingly for the press and some fans) hearsay.

IT'S ENDLESS.

I think its a shame that he didn't return for the 50th anniversary special but, if he had, we would never have had John Hurt's amazing War Doctor. So I guess there's an upside to it.

In terms of future returns, I think it would be much more interesting to revisit the 8th Doctor than the 9th. I feel that we got a good look at the 9th Doctor, albeit for just one season.

But I would love to see Capaldi's grumpy Doctor trying to cope with McGann's more romantic incarnation.

They could just use a ten second clip of him to base a story around, hell they could probably get a whole series out of it!

Whenever I see the Fireball moment again, I'll imagine it as a symbol of the outraged more extremist part of fandom (I've heard the reaction to his leaving at the time caused some forums to close down for a while, such was the vitriol) with Chris legging it as quickly as he can.

Obviously they filmed Chris getting flamed by the fans and retrofitted it to be a DW trailer.

"Flamed by the fans"

Oh, excellent.

Was the War Doctor really that amazing? Really? I don't think so.

Also, McGann's Eighth Doctor is not necessarily "romantic". That's only if you judge him on his one TV appearance in 1996.

He still makes me swoon if that's any indication

Remember kiddies, every time someone says 'Will the Ninth Doctor ever return to Doctor Who?" Christopher Eccleston kills a kitten.

He hates DW that much.

I think 12 would be much funnier alongside 10 and 11 personally.

Cant see it,if he didn't come back for the 50th he's not going to turn up for any odd episode,and by the 60th they'll be too old Peter probably moreso than the others.
I'm afraid the chance was the 50th for whatever reasons they blew it we could have had possibly 4 Doctors instead of the awful War Doctor.
The chance wont come round again on TV any time soon

By the 60th we might have had 2 more Doctors. The 6th Doctors for the 60th would be a good gimmick. Age doesn't really matter as Patrick and Jon aged quite a bit between their regenerations and the 20th anniversary. I can't think of anything greater than Chris, David, Matt, Peter and 2 more Doctors together. By 2023 I'm sure Chris will have softened towards the thought of coming back. I'm sure nobody expected Tom to come back after the 20th anniversary scandal.

The Doctors are never too old. There's plenty of explanations for why they may look older on-screen.

Well, there's probably a cut-off point. I'm sure we don't fancy seeing, for example, an immobile Peter Davison in the show when he's 95 or something thanks.

I'd love to see Peter Davison appear at 95. The age doesn't matter to me; they'll always be the Doctor.

Be realistic though.

Then again, you'd probably support the idea of Tom Baker's funeral (not to be too morbid, sorry!) playing a part within an episode or something crazy.