John Barrowman has apologised following allegations that he repeatedly exposed himself on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood.
In an article published by The Guardian, which includes new sexual harassment allegations against his former co-star Noel Clarke on Doctor Who, two women alleged that the actor – who plays Captain Jack Harkness – exposed himself “on a regular basis” behind the scenes during the show’s earlier years.
Numerous witnesses described the incidents to the newspaper as “inappropriate pranks”.
The actor has since responded, telling The Guardian that he did engage in “tomfoolery” while working on the two shows and that he has evolved in the years since.
He added that it was “only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage”.
In a statement, Barrowman said: “With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously. Since my apology in November 2008, my understanding and behaviour have also changed.”
His first apology came in November 2008 after he pulled down his trousers during an interview with BBC Radio 1.
“I apologise 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.
Julie Gardner, an executive producer on Doctor Who and Torchwood, also confirmed to The Guardian that she had received a complaint about his behaviour on set “around 2008”.
“I 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,” Gardner said, adding that she also spoke to the show’s other executive producers and the head of BBC drama commissioning.
“To my knowledge, John’s inappropriate behaviour stopped thereafter,” she added.
Last week, Noel Clarke was the subject of a Guardian investigation in which 20 women came forward with accusations of sexual harassment, bullying and unprofessional misconduct between 2004 and 2019.