A month ago, actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke was at the peak of his career, having been awarded the Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema at the BAFTAs. However, just a couple of weeks later, the star saw his reputation implode as multiple allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against him. New accusations have now followed, detailing Clarke’s sexual misconduct and sexually inappropriate behavior during his time on Doctor Who.
The actor played Mickey Smith opposite both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s Time Lords on the show from 2005-2010. In a fresh exposé which follows on from their initial piece that featured testimonies from a total of 20 women, The Guardian has shared several first-hand accounts from female crew members of the hit BBC sci-fi series, accusing Clarke of everything from inappropriate touching and comments to becoming aggressive and bullying once his advances were rejected.
Captain Jack Harkness actor John Barrowman is also accused of indecently exposing himself to crew members on both the Doctor Who set and that of spinoff Torchwood. It’s noted that these incidents were “inappropriate pranks rather than anything amounting to sexually predatory behaviour,” though, and while the Arrow star described his actions as “tomfoolery” in a statement, he did apologize for any offense he caused at the time.
Clarke, meanwhile, continues to vehemently deny all the allegations of misconduct and criminal wrongdoing that he’s being faced with. He has, however, said that he is “deeply sorry” for any individuals that his actions have “affected” and he’s “seeking professional help to educate myself and change for the better.” BAFTA has already stripped him of his award, while production on the next season of his TV series Bulletproof has been indefinitely suspended.
With more and more women speaking out against him, it seems that Noel Clarke has little chance of recovering his reputation. And, once paired with Barrowman’s actions, it’s clear that there was more of an uncomfortable atmosphere behind the scenes on Doctor Who in the 2000s than fans would like to think.