BBC hunts mole behind ‘Doctor Who’ leak

THE BBC is taking legal action after footage of the next Doctor Who series was leaked online.

A 53-second clip featuring Jodie Whittaker, who took over from Peter Capaldi as the new Timelord, was uploaded last week. BBC Studios, which makes the programme, launched an investigation to identify the culprit.

The unauthorised footage was first spotted on Tapatalk, a California-based mobile community platform.

The BBC has asked a US court to compel the firm to produce records which could lead them to the person responsible. Only a small number of people had direct access to the footage, but there is also a possibility that it was obtained by a hacker.

A spokesman said: “BBC Studios takes the theft and illegal distribution of our content extremely seriously and will strive to protect our programmemakers, audiences and licence fee payers from any breaches of security, ensuring Doctor Who fans enjoy the final and fully completed version of the episode when it premieres.”

BBC sources stressed that the clip was unfinished and accompanied by a temporary soundtrack. Tapatalk is not accused of any wrongdoing and users who upload copyrighted materials violate its terms and conditions.

The link has now been removed from social media platforms and video sharing sites.

This is not the first time Doctor Who has been affected by a leak. When the series returned to television in 2005, a full episode was shared online three weeks before the launch. The leak was traced to Canada, where a broadcast partner had been given an early preview copy. The person responsible for the leak was sacked.