A young Doctor Who fan inspired by Christopher Eccleston’s stint on the show gets to meet his hero in a heartwarming new video.

Gerard Groves – a BBC apprentice with Asperger syndrome – spoke to Eccleston to promote the actor’s role in new drama series The A Word.

The actor – who starred in a single series of Doctor Who in 2005 – is visibly moved as Gerard recalls his childhood experiences, and how a certain Time Lord hero inspired him to become a filmmaker.

“I did it in 2005 – so you were one of mine!” Eccleston says, later picking up on Gerard’s use of his old Doctor Who catchphrase… ‘Fantastic!’.

It’s not the first time that Eccleston has tugged at our heartstrings by dipping back into the world of Doctor Who – in December, he played the ninth Doctor again in a touching message recorded for a sick fan.

The Emmy winner plays Maurice Scott, the grandfather of an autistic child, in The A Word, which launched last night on BBC One to strong reviews.

The six-part series continues next Tuesday at 9pm.