'It wasn't sexual harassment': John Barrowman defends himself over Doctor Who flashing claims


John Barrowman has defended exposing himself on the set of Doctor Who and insisted his behaviour was not ‘sexual harassment’.

The actor, 54, who played Jack Harkness on the show and its spin-off Torchwood, issued an apology in May for the historic incidents, with the star since dropped from his judging role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice. 

Speaking on Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain, John hit out at ‘cancel culture’, saying it has gone ‘way too far’ and that people tried to take his career away.

Speaking out: John Barrowman has defended exposing himself on the set of Doctor Who and insisted his behaviour was not 'sexual harassment'

Speaking out: John Barrowman has defended exposing himself on the set of Doctor Who and insisted his behaviour was not ‘sexual harassment’

Asked how he turned things around following the controversy, John said: ‘Well I don’t think it’s me that turned me around. It was tom foolery and it was silly, we had a great time on set it wasn’t sexual harassment. 

‘The public have seen that. Cancel culture has tried to strip my career after 35 years. The stories are not new I wrote about them in my autobiography.’  

He added: ‘Cancel culture are like hyenas that are trying to strip the meat off the bone. Cancel culture has gone way too far, I am ready to move on now and so is everyone else.’

John said the fallout from the controversy was difficult to deal with and he was deeply worried about his reputation.

Sorry: The actor, 54, issued an apology in May for the historic incidents, with the star since dropped from his judging role on ITV's Dancing On Ice (pictured filming Doctor Who in 2007)

Sorry: The actor, 54, issued an apology in May for the historic incidents, with the star since dropped from his judging role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice (pictured filming Doctor Who in 2007)

He said: ‘It was very traumatic and upsetting for me and my family, companies believed what was said on Twitter instead of people talking to me. I was not sleeping. 

‘I was so worried about what people were going to say. We need to learn to forgive, it was a different time now. I wouldn’t do that now as times are different. 

‘If I told all the secrets of the entertainment industry I could write a huge book.’

John previously said the drama surrounding his flashing on the Doctor Who set was ‘exaggerated’, adding: ‘All the people that are making the fuss about it, they weren’t there, they don’t know the context of things that were done.’ 

The TV star described his past actions on set as ‘silly behaviour’ and insisted on ITV’s Lorraine that he would ‘never do it now’.

John said: It was tom foolery and it was silly, we had a great time on set it wasn't sexual harassment. 'The public have seen that. Cancel culture has tried to strip my career'

John said: It was tom foolery and it was silly, we had a great time on set it wasn’t sexual harassment. ‘The public have seen that. Cancel culture has tried to strip my career’

When questioned by Lorraine if he felt his behaviour had ‘crossed the line’, John agreed that if it were to happen today then it would be, but was quick to accuse people of turning his actions into ‘sexual harassment’. 

He explained: ‘I think that if it was now, it would be crossing the line. I think that something that happened 15 years ago, it was bawdy behaviour, silly behaviour, it was being done in the confines of the set, and we were like a family, working together.

‘The fact that it was stories that I’ve already told. I’ve been telling them for years. I haven’t hidden anything, they’ve been exaggerated, and they’ve tried to turn them into sexual harassment which it absolutely is not.’

The actor went on: ‘The one thing for me, all the people that are making the fuss about it, they weren’t there, they don’t know the context of things that were done. The continued bashing is not good. We’ve moved on.

He added: 'Cancel culture are like hyenas that are trying to strip the meat off the bone. Cancel culture has gone way too far, I am ready to move on now and so is everyone else'

He added: ‘Cancel culture are like hyenas that are trying to strip the meat off the bone. Cancel culture has gone way too far, I am ready to move on now and so is everyone else’

Role: John portrayed Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood

Role: John portrayed Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood

‘Like I said, I would never do it now but what we’re not allowing people and myself to do… we’re not allowing people to learn to adapt and to change, and that’s the most important thing.’

When asked if he feels he has ‘changed’ and ‘adapted’ from how he was in the past, John said: ‘f course I have. And we’ve moved on. From this point I want to move on and continue to move forward.’

John added to Lorraine that he felt ‘nervous’ about giving the interview and admits he feels like he constantly has to ‘monitor’ everything he does, adding that he’ll continue to be his ‘outrageous’ self but in a ‘different context’.

He said: ‘I’m extremely nervous, and that is not me. The fact of the matter is I know throughout my career and everything I’ve done, it’s promoting people to be yourself, to not be ashamed of who you are and at the moment what’s happening is I feel like I’m having to monitor everything.

‘I’ll get past that. I’ll still have fun, I’ll still be silly, I’ll still be outrageous but in a different context to what it was 15 years ago… And we can’t change that. It’s not going to happen again.’

His side: John previously said the drama surrounding his flashing on the Doctor Who set was 'exaggerated'

His side: John previously said the drama surrounding his flashing on the Doctor Who set was ‘exaggerated’

No charges were brought against the media personality after allegations about him exposing himself were revealed in May following more serious allegations of sexual harassment against his Doctor Who co-star Noel Clarke.

The incidents came to light in a resurfaced video on YouTube from 2014 and filmed at sci-fi convention, Chicago Tardis.

It was released by The Guardian newspaper which had investigated Clarke’s behaviour on the Doctor Who set.

In an interview in front of a live audience, Clarke is seen regaling fellow cast members Annette Badland and Camille Coduri with tales of John’s behaviour on the set of Doctor Who, exposing himself ‘every five seconds’.

In an interview with Weekend magazine, John said his behaviour on set was to ‘defuse awkwardness’ whenever he was filming a sex scene in Torchwood.

He said: ‘As Captain Jack Harkness I was the star of Torchwood, so I felt it was down to me to lead the company and keep them entertained. When I was doing a nude scene or a love scene it was clear in the script I’d be naked and everyone would have known about that at least 48 hours in advance.

‘So I’d be waiting in my trailer wearing just a robe with a sock over my ‘parts’. Then, if I were standing waiting to film a scene where I needed to be nude and someone came into view, I’d make a joke to put them and myself at ease.

‘My actions were simply designed to defuse any potential awkwardness among the cast and crew.’

He added: ‘I’ve never been someone who’s embarrassed about his body so it didn’t bother me if anyone saw me naked. The motivation for what I’d call my ‘tomfoolery’ was to maintain a jokey atmosphere. There was absolutely nothing sexual about my actions and nor have I ever been accused of that.’

John revealed he was called for a meeting with Doctor Who and Torchwood executive producer Julie Gardner who told him to reign in his behaviour.

The actor added he can now see his behaviour was ‘juvenile’ and it would not be something he would do today.

'Exaggerated': Speaking in an interview with Lorraine, John gave his side of the story as he candidly said: 'All the people that are making the fuss about it, they weren’t there, they don’t know the context of things that were done'

‘Exaggerated’: Speaking in an interview with Lorraine, John gave his side of the story as he candidly said: ‘All the people that are making the fuss about it, they weren’t there, they don’t know the context of things that were done’

It was announced in October that John would not return to Dancing On Ice where he has since been replaced on the panel by Oti Mabuse. 

A source told The Sun at the time: ‘This will be devastating for him. Clearly feel it’s not a good look to have someone like John centre-stage on a family­-friendly show.’

Representatives for the channel said: ‘We thank John Barrowman for two brilliant years on the Dancing on Ice panel and are pleased to be working with him again as host of the forthcoming All Star Musicals specials.’

A show insider added ‘John has not been “sacked” from Dancing on Ice and we continue to work with him at ITV’.

John’s team said: ‘John is thrilled to be returning to work for ITV as host on the new All Star Musicals’ but declined to comment on his departure from the skating show.

Axe: It was announced in October that John would not return to Dancing On Ice where he has since been replaced on the panel by Oti Mabuse (pictured in January 2021)

Axe: It was announced in October that John would not return to Dancing On Ice where he has since been replaced on the panel by Oti Mabuse (pictured in January 2021)

John previously 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 as he apologised for his past behaviour.

‘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.’

John broke his silence in May, taking to Instagram to share a video with fans from the garden of his Palm Springs home.

He said: ‘Hi everybody, it’s John here and I just want to say thank you very much to all of my fan family and everybody who has reached out with the countless messages of support over the last few weeks.

‘It has meant such a great deal to me and has really touched me to know that people are supporting me and standing by me and sending their love and all their appreciation and kind words.’

He signed off his message by saying: ‘Hopefully we will all be back together soon and I look forward to it. Much love and thank you.’

Speaking out: In May, the actor broke his silence in an Instagram video thanking fans for their support

Speaking out: In May, the actor broke his silence in an Instagram video thanking fans for their support 

Leave a Reply