Noel Clarke has discussed the 'damage' allegations made against him last year caused in his first interview. The actor has told how he contemplated suicide after the Guardian published allegations of misconduct from 20 women who knew Clarke in a professional capacity.
In a statement at the time Clarke said he "vehemently" denied "any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing". And he added that he was "deeply sorry" if some of his actions had affected people “in ways I did not intend or realise”, and vowed to get professional help "to educate myself and change for the better".
When the allegation became public Clarke was appearing in an ITV drama, Triggerpoint. The network ended up pulling the concluding episode from air and made it available on ITV Hub for those who still wanted to watch the final episode. Broadcaster Sky, which had aired Clarke's series Bulletproof, also said it was halting work with him.
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Bafta also suspended his membership of the organisation and his outstanding British contribution to cinema award, which he had been given in 2021.
The 46-year-old best known for appearing in Doctor Who and for co-creating The Hood Trilogy, has now told The Mail On Sunday: "Twenty years of work was gone in 24 hours. I lost everything. The company I built from the ground up, my TV shows, my movies, my book deals, the industry respect I had. In my heart and my head it has damaged me in a way I cannot articulate."
In March this year police said no criminal investigation would be launched in relation to allegations made against him. Scotland Yard said in a statement in March 2022 that there had been a thorough assessment by specialist detectives, but it was determined the information would not meet the threshold for a criminal investigation.
The statement said: "We have shared our findings with the third party organisation and updated the complainants who subsequently contacted us following the initial report. If any further criminal allegation related to those already assessed are reported then it will be thoroughly considered."
Since the allegations were made, Clarke and wife Iris have welcomed a new baby in the past year, The Mail on Sunday said, with the actor, screenwriter and director telling the publication that at his lowest moment he was suicidal. He said: "I didn’t care about anything. My mind was destroyed."
The father-of-four added: "I’m not a predator. I have crossed the road to avoid walking behind women since I was 15 years old. I’ve been a regular dude, for sure, I flirt. Have I ever made a saucy comment? One hundred per cent. But not to the extent that it warranted the destruction of my life.
"I can’t say I never talked about sex at work. We’re adults in a workplace and people make jokes and have conversations with each other that cross the line. Sometimes you’re with each other for six, seven months, away from home. I think sometimes these are just normal, or slightly inappropriate, conversations that people have.
"I was never involved in any conversation that I didn’t believe was mutual, wasn’t being reciprocated. Maybe I should have known better. But you know what, I didn’t always know better."
