Actor Noel Clarke has lost his libel case against the Guardian newspaper after it printed allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct against him.
In 2021, The Guardian published a series of articles about the former Doctor Who star, 49, detailing allegations against him from more than 25 women – allegations that Clarke denied.
A year later, the Metropolitan Police reportedly dropped an investigation into Clarke, and the Kidulthood star began legal proceedings against Guardian News & Media (GNM) in 2023.
If the event that his claims were successful, Clarke was reportedly ready to demand £70million in damages repayments and pursue claims over allegations that people conspired against him with fabricated accusations.
On Friday morning, it was announced that Clarke’s libel case against GNM had been lost, with Justice Karen Steyn saying that the meaning in the Guardian articles were ‘substantially true’.
Get personalised updates on Doctor Who
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Steyn added that, while she had accepted some of Clarke’s claims and evidence, she had not found him to be a ‘credible or reliable witness’ during the trial.
Who is Noel Clarke?
Noel Clarke is a 49-year-old London-born actor who rose to fame in the early 2000s after joining the cast of the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet reboot in 2002.
He became one of the most recognisable faces on TV when he joined the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, starring alongside Christopher Eccelston and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler’s boyfriend Mickey Smith.
Appearing in 15 episodes, Mickey became one of the Doctor’s companions, with Clarke also starring alongside David Tennant’s Doctor after the Scottish actor took over from Eccleston.
Between 2006 and 2016, Clarke also wrote, directed and starred in the Hood trilogy films – Kidulthood (2006), Adulthood (2008), and Brotherhood (2016).
As well as his starring roles in Doctor Who and the Hood trilogy, Clarke also appeared in episodes of Casualty, Inside No.9, Holby City, and A Touch of Frost.
Away from the world of TV and film, he is married to Portuguese wife Iris Clarke (née Da-Silva) – the couple worked together behind the scenes for some Clarke’s earliest roles in the late 1990s, and have four children together.
What are the allegations against Noel Clarke?
Clarke began proceedings against GNM in 2023 after it had published a number of articles and a podcast episode, claiming that more than 25 women had come forward with allegations against him.
Among the allegations from numerous witnesses were claims that Clarke had shared nude images of them without their consent, inappropriately touched them, and exposed his genitals to them.
A producer who worked alongside Clarke accused him of filming a nude audition of an actress before sharing the footage with another producer.
He was also accused by another co-star of pressuring women to perform scenes nude, growing angry if they refused.
In a statement published at the time, Clarke said he ‘vehemently’ denied ‘any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing’ but did add that he was ‘deeply sorry’ if some of his actions had affected people.
He revealed that he would be receiving professional help ‘to educate myself and change for the better’ and the Metropolitan Police dropped their investigation into him in 2022.
Clarke gave evidence and was cross-examined by GNM’s legal team for several days, telling the court that GNM had ‘smashed [his] life’ and that he was ‘not what [GNM] have branded [him]’.
His wife Iris Clarke also took the stand to support her husband, while an actress who had previously worked with him also made supporting statements.
What has the judge said?
Mrs Justice Steyn gave the following verdict: ‘While Mr Clarke was willing to desist from making sexual allusions and advances and engaging in sexual talk with those who unequivocally spurned him, he clearly felt the onus was on such a person to object to his behaviour.
‘He regarded anyone who was unwilling to acquiesce in his “sexual banter” as haughty and hostile.’
She continued: ‘Although I find that he has been untruthful about most of the allegations, in his efforts to salvage his career, his initial response that “some of my actions have affected people in ways I did not intend or realise” was true.
‘Even when his actions have been calculated and deliberate, Mr Clarke has tended to be oblivious to their impact, regarding his own behaviour as merely being “naughty, cheeky, teasing” or within his rights as a director or producer.
‘In addition, he does not see himself as reflected in the articles because there is a kinder, more generous side to him. But that does not detract from the conclusions I have reached.’
What happens next?
While a verdict has been delivered today in Clarke’s libel case against GNM, that might not be the very end of legal proceedings between the two parties.
Clarke will reportedly now have to cover the bulk of GNM’s legal costs, while the option of appealing the verdict is also available to him.
It also remains to be seen whether Clarke will work in film and television again, with the actor having not appeared in a credited role since 2021 – the year the allegations were first made.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
