Peter Capaldi opens up about Doctor Who exit: "To be at the centre of that brand is a lot of work"

“Doctor Who is a great show and experience but to be at the centre of that brand is a lot of work. There’s a lot more than just acting,” he told Australia’s The Courier-Mail. “It was hard to maintain that level of commitment with that schedule any longer. I tried my best to make the Doctor come alive.”

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Now he’s handed over the Tardis controls, Capaldi said it had been nice to “disappear” for a while.

“I stopped being anything. After four years it was a great opportunity to just say I’m going to rest. I’m going to stop working,” he explained. “I’m playing guitar and going out for breakfast. I feel slightly guilty to say I’m enjoying it but I am.”

That doesn’t mean Capaldi is not excited about the upcoming series and his successor Jodie Whittaker. “She’s a wonderful actress and has a great personality. Ultimately with Doctor Who it becomes a lot about yourself rather than your acting skill,” Capaldi said.

So, good news all round: Capaldi is enjoying his time away from Who and we only have a few months now until we see Whittaker at the centre of a new series.

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 this autumn