Noel Clarke faces new accusations of sexual harassment on set of Doctor Who
Noel Clarke is facing new allegations of harassment claimed to have taken place during his time on Doctor Who.
A Guardian investigation published last week reported testimony from 20 women accusing Clarke of sexual harassment, bullying and verbal abuse.
The award-winning actor and producer – who has vehemently denied all claims – was also suspended by Bafta in the wake of the news.
In a follow-up report published by The Guardian today (7 May), new accusations of sexual harassment have been made against Clarke, alleging incidents that occurred on the set of Doctor Who or at a promotional event for the sci-fi series.
The 45-year-old played the vehicle technician Mickey Smith from 2005 to 2010, starring opposite David Tennant’s Doctor.
Now, he has been accused of sexual harassment by four other women who were either cast or crew on the show at the time. The women – two of whom are identified by pseudonyms and one who remains anonymous – variously accused him of inappropriate touching, sexual comments, and bullying.
One incident was reported by Joanne Hayes – who was a costume assistant on the BBC show – who claimed that Clarke sexually harassed her in his trailer in August 2004, telling her that he “liked girls with long hair, as it gave him something to hold on to when doing them from behind”.
Clarke’s lawyers have strongly denied the allegation, telling The Guardian that the incident Hayes described did not occur.
The BBC has told the publication that it would investigate these new allegations and have asked witnesses to contact the broadcaster concerning the alleged incidents on the set of Doctor Who. The corporation has said that it stands “against all forms of inappropriate behaviour” and is “shocked to hear of these allegations”.
As reported by the publication, the actor’s lawyers have said it is difficult for Clarke to provide a response to accusations that are “vague, unsupported by any objective evidence, lacking in specificity or coming from anonymised sources”.
They rejected any suggestion he has ever been sexually inappropriate. The Independent has contacted a representative of Clarke’s for further comment.
Elsewhere in the article, Clarke’s Doctor Who co-star John Barrowman – who is accused of exposing himself repeatedly on set – admitted to “tomfoolery” but stated that his “high-spirited behaviour” was “only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage”.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed to The Guardian that Barrowman was reprimanded for his behaviour.
The Independent has contacted a representative of Barrowman for comment.
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