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Doctor Who: Noel Clarke Accused of Sexual Misconduct On BBC Series Set
Several women who worked on Doctor Who have accused Noel Clarke of sexual misconduct during his time on the show. Clarke played Rose Tyler's (Billie Piper) boyfriend Mickey Smith from the show's return in 2005 to 2010, which raised his career profile and helped make him a household name. The Guardian has followed up on its original report about his alleged history of sexual misconduct with more reports from his time on Doctor Who. Now, at least 3 women who worked on the show have accused him of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and bullying both on set and off. They include women who worked in the costume department, at least two runners and an actress. They also accused him of badmouthing them to the industry after they turned down his advances. A woman who worked with him at the Bournemouth Film and Comic Con also told The Guardian that he sexually harassed, propositioned, and inappropriately touched her during a convention appearance in 2016. She reported his behaviour to her supervisor, who laughed it off. These come in the wake of more than 20 women having accused Clarke of sexual misconduct in the original The Guardian report.
Clarke told The Guardian via his lawyer that he strongly denied the latest allegations. His representatives have not responded to a BBC request for comment. A BBC spokesman said: "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."
On Thursday, more than 900 people in the British Film and TV Industry signed a letter calling for sweeping changes in the industry's workplace culture, calling for an end to a widespread tolerance of harassers, bullies, and predators that have been operating in the industry for decades. Clarke has been dropped by his agency CAA and his management company. Sky One has halted work on the fourth season of his hit cop show Bulletproof. He has been suspended from his production company. The British Film and Television Academy (BAFTA) has suspended his membership and withdrawn his Achievement award for outstanding contributions to the British Film and Television Industry. The Metropolitan Police are reviewing a complaint "against a male" filed by "a third party" but not currently investigating him.