Billie Piper explains why she left Doctor Who after it made her uncomfortable: ‘I didn’t like the responsibility of being a role model’

Billie Piper has explained why she first decided to leave Doctor Who, saying she was uncomfortable with the idea of ‘being a role model’.

The actress starred as Rose Tyler in the sci-fi series when it was rebooted between 2005 and 2006. She came back to the show in 2008, 2010 and 2013, but she ‘didn’t like the responsibility’ that came with the role. 

Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the singer and actress said she ‘didn’t know that it would be successful’.

‘It made me really famous again in that sort of mainstream fame way that I find really uncomfortable,’ she told Lauren.

Discussing why she left in 2006, Billie added: ‘I think that played into it but also I was just at the beginning of my acting career.

‘As much as I love that show, I love Rose Tyler, Russell T Davies and all the people that I continue to have a relationship with, I wanted to do different stuff. I didn’t like the responsibility of being a sort of role model.’

After becoming a successful pop artist in the late 90s as a teenager, Billie landed her biggest TV role in 2006 on the show, which she described as ‘great in many ways’.

‘I was doing what I felt I was born to do on some level. It was a very exciting and satisfying time because it was hard to get an acting job with my history as first, a pop star, and then this sort of burnt out child star which is how I think I was painted – certainly through the years I was with Chris [Evans],’ she said.

‘And actually I’ve had to do that until quite recently, to sort of shift people’s perception which is really annoying and completely unhelpful but anyway, we’re almost there now, 20 years later.’

After leaving Doctor Who, Billie went on to star in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Penny Dreadful and Sky Atlantic’s I Hate Suzie.

Billie also spoke about her teenage years as a chart-topping singer as being ‘unbelievably unsafe’ and ‘lonely’.

The Doctor Who star was the youngest female artist to debut at the top of the singles chart back in 1998.

Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Billie Piper felt ‘lonely’ and ‘unsafe’ as a chart-topping teen popstar

MORE : When were Billie Piper and Laurence Fox married and for how long as he runs for London Mayor?