British actor Noel Clarke has now been accused of sexual misconduct on the set of Doctor Who. These are just the latest allegations to be lobbied against the former Doctor Who actor. Late last month, Clarke was accused of groping, sexual harassment, and bullying by 20 women in a report published by The Guardian. The alleged victims claim they were prompted to action after the British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave Clarke the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema on April 10th.
After The Guardian published its report, BAFTA responded promptly by stripping Clarke of the award and multiple British networks, including the BBC, ITV, and Sky, cut ties with the actor. In the past few years, Hollywood and the global entertainment industry at large have been swifter and stricter in their handling of abusers, in an attempt to reconcile their checkered pasts. Popularized after the allegations against Harvey Weinstein in 2017, the #MeToo movement signaled the start of a reckoning in Hollywood. Recent accusations of abuse against Joss Whedon and prolific producer Scott Rudin, which resulted in Whedon exiting the HBO show The Nevers and Rudin stepping down from his role, show that the culture is changing slightly.
Now, the Noel Clarke controversy continues to grow as several sources are coming forward accusing the actor of inappropriate contact and sexual harassment on the set of BBC’s flagship series Doctor Who. The report includes allegations by Joanne Hayes, a costume assistant on Doctor Who, and many other anonymous sources. From 2005 to 2010, Clarke gained fame on the show as a vehicle technician and companion named Mickey Smith. The full litany of allegations against Clarke can be read in The Guardian's report. Clarke vehemently denies all accusations of misconduct, including the most recent allegations.
John Barrowman, another Doctor Who actor, was also recently accused of repeated sexual misconduct on the set of the show. This has raised questions about the extent of the BBC’s knowledge regarding the situation and if they fostered a lax culture regarding sexual harassment throughout the 2000s. Just as Hollywood is experiencing a reckoning of its own, these latest allegations against Clarke and Barrowman will further intensify the ongoing debate regarding the treatment of women in Britain’s film and television industry.
While Clarke is best known for playing Mickey Smith on Doctor Who, he has also written and directed the films Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, in which he also stars. Now, the question on everyone's minds is what these recent allegations against Clarke on the set of Doctor Who will result in, and if more will come.
Source: The Guardian