Noel Clarke accused of sexual harassment on ‘Doctor Who’
Watch: 'Dr. Who' star Noel Clarke accused of sexual harassment on set by several women
Noel Clarke has been accused of sexual misconduct on the set of Doctor Who.
Several people have made allegations about the actor’s behaviour on the BBC sci-fi show, in which he played Mickey Smith from 2005 to 2010.
It come days after The Guardian reported that 20 women who knew the actor and producer in a professional capacity had accused him of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment.
Read more: ITV pulls last episode of Viewpoint after Noel Clarke allegations
Clarke, 45, has been accused of sexual harassment both on the set of Doctor Who and at a promotional event.
One woman who worked as a runner and a driver told The Guardian that Clarke touched and spoke to her inappropriately. She said when she complained about his behaviour to an assistant director she was switched to different duties.
The BBC told the PA news agency in a statement: “The BBC is against all forms of inappropriate behaviour and we’re shocked to hear of these allegations.
“To be absolutely clear, we will investigate any specific allegations made by individuals to the BBC – and if anyone has been subjected to or witnessed inappropriate behaviour of any kind we would encourage them to raise it with us directly.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach and robust processes are in place – which are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practice – to ensure any complaints or concerns are handled with the utmost seriousness and care.”
The Guardian first reported the allegations against Clarke last week.
The controversy saw Bafta suspend the star’s membership and the finale of his ITV drama Viewpoint was pulled from TV schedules.
The actor has strenuously denied both those and the latest accusations.
He recently said in a statement: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise.
“I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”
Meanwhile, Clarke’s Doctor Who co-star John Barrowman has been accused of exposing himself on the show's set.
A recently resurfaced video from 2015 shows Clarke making jokes about Barrowman exposing his penis “every five seconds” and “hitting it on everything”.
Sources told the newspaper they believed Barrowman’s behaviour to be misjudged “larking about” and not sexually predatory.
Barrowman, who starred as Captain Jack Harkness, told the publication his “high-spirited behaviour” was only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues.
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“With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously,” he said. “Since my apology in November 2008, my understanding and behaviour have also changed.”
Barrowman added that he was at no point made aware of any allegations against Clarke.
Additional reporting by PA.
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