MP urges ITV to axe John Barrowman from Dancing On Ice after the actor admitted he repeatedly exposed himself on Doctor Who set
- Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke claimed the ice-skating competition is a ‘family show’ and so the actor, 54, should not be a part of it
- On Friday, Barrowman apologised for exposing himself but insisted showing his penis was all in good humour
- He said: ‘With the benefit of hindsight I understand upset may have been caused’
- Clarke, 45, is at the centre of new claims this time during Doctor Who spell
- Some 20 women accused Clarke of sexual harassment, groping and bullying
- Clarke has said he ‘vehemently denies’ sexual misconduct or criminal behaviour
ITV has been urged to axe John Barrowman as a judge on Dancing On Ice after he admitted to repeatedly exposing himself on Doctor Who and Torchwood’s sets.
Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke told The Sun on Sunday that the ice-skating competition is a ‘family show’ and so the actor, 54, should not be a part of it.
On Friday, Barrowman apologised for exposing himself repeatedly while filming the two sci-fi shows but insisted it was just ‘tomfoolery’, as the show’s architect Russell T Davies denied knowing anything about inappropriate behaviour on set.
Reaction: ITV has been urged to axe John Barrowman from Dancing On Ice after the actor admitted he repeatedly exposed himself on Doctor Who set, it was revealed on Friday
Shelbrooke claimed: ‘Inappropriate behaviour like this is not acceptable no matter what the circumstances. ITV and the BBC have a responsibility with the standards they set.
‘Dancing On Ice is a family show and ITV shouldn’t be willing to indulge this behaviour in any way.
‘It’s incumbent on broadcasters to show they are not condoning such behaviour in any way.’
Apology: On Friday, Barrowman apologised for exposing himself repeatedly while filming Doctor Who and Torchwood (pictured) but insisted it was just ‘tomfoolery’
Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist who exposed Jimmy Saville as a paedophile, told the publication that it would be ‘interesting’ to see how channels reacted to Barrowman’s admission.
He made the comment whilst referring to how Barrowman’s co-star Noel Clarke, 45, had been dropped by multiple networks and BAFTA after he was accused of being a ‘sexual predator’ by 20 women.
MailOnline has contacted Barrowman’s representatives and ITV spokespeople for further comment.
Claim: Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke said the ice-skating competition is a ‘family show’ and so the actor (pictured with Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean) should not be a part of it
On Friday, Barrowman told the Guardian his ‘high-spirited behaviour’ was ‘only ever intended in good humour’ to entertain colleagues on set and backstage – and not sexual harassment.
‘With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously,’ he said. ‘Since my apology in November 2008, my understanding and behaviour have also changed.’
Clarke was filmed making jokes about Barrowman, who played Captain Jack Harkness on both programmes, showing people his penis ‘every five seconds’ and ‘hitting it on everything’.
Explanation: On Friday, Barrowman said his ‘high-spirited behaviour’ was ‘only ever intended in good humour’ to entertain colleagues on set and backstage – and not sexual harassment
Last month, a video of Clarke emerged showing him on stage during a Doctor Who Q&A with fans where he joked about Barrowman’s alleged proclivity for getting his penis out on set.
Barrowman had apologised publicly after a similar incident on BBC Switch.
Clarke’s two female co-stars Annette Badland and Camille Coduri are seen as he uses microphone as a prop phallus, hitting them on their legs and even resting it on Camille’s shoulders, with viewers saying they were ‘squirming while watching’.
Discussion: John added, ‘With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously’
He said: ‘For the record, any men out there, do not try that at work. You will be fired and possibly go to jail.’
Clarke – who is accused of inappropriate behaviour towards 20 women over 14 years – was at the centre of further allegations he sexually harassed or touched others on BBC hit Doctor Who on Friday.
The broadcaster appeared to be broadsided by the new reports today and said it would investigate specific claims made but was ‘shocked’ to hear of them.
Allegations: Last month, Barrowman’s co-star Noel Clarke (pictured in 2017) was accused of inappropriate behaviour over 14 years and of being a ‘sexual predator’ by 20 women
Clarke is said to have told one costume assistant, who had long hair, working on series one of the rebooted sci-fi show he ‘liked girls with long hair’ so he could hold onto it when in a specific sexual position.
Another female runner and driver on the show alleges Clarke touched her inappropriately and repeatedly asked her to go to his hotel for sex.
She told the Guardian she pleaded to the assistant director: ‘I can’t drive him anymore. I don’t want to be on my own with him.’
Clarke denies any allegations of sexual misconduct, criminal wrongdoing or sexually inappropriate behaviour, including the latest accusations.
He was stripped of a BAFTA award he was given last month after the claims became public.
Doctor Who was where Clarke became a household name, playing the vehicle technician Mickey Smith from 2005 to 2010.
A statement from the BBC said: ‘The BBC is against all forms of inappropriate behaviour and we’re shocked to hear of these allegations.
Accusations: Clarke was at the centre of further allegations he sexually harassed or touched others on BBC hit Doctor Who on Friday (pictured on show with David Tennant and Billie Piper)
‘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.’
The allegations against Clarke which were made public in the Guardian include that he secretly filmed a naked audition of actor Jahannah James and that he showed sexually explicit images of women to colleagues – both claims he denies.
Denial: Clarke (pictured with Adam Deacon on Adulthood) denies any allegations of sexual misconduct, criminal wrongdoing or sexually inappropriate behaviour
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