John Barrowman apologises for ‘tomfoolery’ after claims he ‘got his d**k out every five seconds’ on Doctor Who set
John Barrowman attends the TRIC Awards 2020 in London. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Actor John Barrowman has admitted to “tomfoolery” on the set of Doctor Who following allegations that he would expose himself to other cast members as an inappropriate prank.
After Noel Clarke was accused of sexual misconduct by 20 women (claims he denies), an unearthed 2015 video came to light in which the actor alleged that Barrowman would expose himself on set of Doctor Who.
Clarke said Barrowman would “take his d**k out every five seconds” and asked co-star Camille Coduri whether she remembered the time Barrowman “put it on your shoulder in the makeup truck”. She responded: “Yes, I do.”
In a statement sent to The Guardian on Friday (7 May), John Barrowman admitted that he did engage in “tomfoolery” while working on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood.
Several sources told The Guardian that Barrowman did repeatedly expose himself on set, but they stressed that the context was different to the predatory allegations against Clarke, describing his actions as misjudged “larking about”.
Barrowman, who is gay, said his “high-spirited behaviour” was “only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage”.
He added that he now understood his actions upset colleagues, but he said it was never intended or interpreted as sexual.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour, and I have apologised for this previously,” Barrowman 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 Noel Clarke.
Doctor Who producer Julie Gardner confirmed to The Guardian that she received a complaint around 2008 about Barrowman’s conduct. She said she “met with John and reprimanded him” to “make it clear to both John and his agent that behaviour of this kind would not be tolerated”.
“To my knowledge, John’s inappropriate behaviour stopped thereafter,” she added.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed to The Guardian that John Barrowman was reprimanded for his behaviour.
Barrowman has previously apologised for pulling down his trouser in a 2008 interview with BBC Radio 1. He said he was sorry for “any offence I have caused”.
“I was joining in the light-hearted and fun banter of the show, and went too far,” he said at the time.
One woman, Jenna (not her real name), was a runner and driver on the set of Doctor Who in the mid-2000s. She told The Guardian that she frequently witnessed Barrowman exposing himself on set. Jenna said he would “get his genitals out on a regular basis”, and he’d “sort of have his balls hanging out of his trousers or something” which she said he “just thought was really funny”.
She said she also witnessed Barrowman “slapping” his penis on the windscreen of one of the driver’s cars, “thinking it was really funny”.
Another woman said Barrowman would call her “into his dressing room”, and he would “just have his willy out, standing in the doorway”. She said: “It was kind of accepted that it was his thing.”
The woman told The Guardian that she did not feel unsafe, but “it just felt really uncomfortable”.
Barrowman’s lawyers said the actor did “not recall” the incidents recounted by the two women.
PinkNews has contacted John Barrowman’s agent for comment.
