Christopher Eccleston - who stole our hearts as Doctor Who - sat down with Good Morning Britain to reveal that he was bullied as a child.

And, as a result of this, he went on to become a bully himself.

In an emotional interview, he told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: “I was bullied at school from the age of five by a girl who was seven and it happened every playtime.

“Playtime became terror time for me. She would trap me against the wall, she would make me do sums, maths, and it really collared my life.

“I didn’t want to go to school, I certainly didn't want to go out at playtime, but this was in 1969 on a council estate in Manchester.”

He added: “As I’ve grown up and thought about that girl, she seemed not as cared for physically as some of the other children and my thought is, God knows what was going on at home because there was definitely a sense that this girl was very, very troubled and that’s what I take from it really.”

This was not the only time that Christopher was bullied, however.

The actor said: “I was bullied there, and then when I moved up to the Juniors, I was bullied again by a boy.

“One of the factors is shame and I could never tell my parents because I grew up in a macho culture.”

Like so many victims of bullying, Christopher soon became a perpetrator himself, going on to bully and belittle one of his classmates.

He tearfully confessed: “There was a period when I bullied, for a very short period, and I did stop it myself, but it's a shame that I carry to this day.

“The pop psychology of it is ‘I bullied because I was bullied’, I don't know that I accept that, I know that I feel a great deal of shame.”

The talented actor added: “It's been a great shame and I would like to apologise to him.

“I know his name but I don't know where he is. He was probably like myself when I went into infants, vulnerable and sensitive and you can make the leap of…

“I felt powerless so I made somebody else feel powerless.”

Christopher is working with the campaign Stand Up To Bullying, which encourages people who witness bullying in action to take a stand.

There is a special #StandUpToBullying campaign day on July 5.

Speaking about the campaign day, the people behind the Diana Award explain: “Stand Up to Bullying Day is a campaign that focuses on childhood bullying as well as bullying in the wider community.

"We are encouraging the nation to take a stand against bullying and demonstrate everyone has a role to play in tackling it.”

Good Morning Britain airs on weekdays at 6am on ITV.