The Mail on Sunday

BBC is latest broadcaste­r to cut ties with the actor

- By Chris Hastings

EMBATTLED Noel Clarke stood increasing­ly alone last night as the entertainm­ent industry turned its back on him.

The BBC became the latest broadcaste­r to distance itself from the controvers­ial star, with a spokesman saying: ‘We will not be progressin­g any projects with Noel Clarke at this time.’

Bosses at ITV had already pulled the final instalment of police drama Viewpoint from its Friday night schedule because of Clarke’s starring role, although it is available online at ITV Hub until tonight when it will be removed. Viewing figures for the episode were unavailabl­e.

Meanwhile, Sky has ‘halted’ filming on the latest series of Clarke’s crime drama Bulletproo­f.

Last night, the British Film Institute – which was involved in the funding of some of Clarke’s projects – said it was ‘extremely concerned about the recent allegation­s’ and ‘deeply sorry for anyone affected by such behaviour’.

The statement added: ‘Everyone has the right to feel safe at work, and allegation­s of sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment must be taken extremely seriously. This alleged behaviour should not be tolerated. Our workforce must be enabled to report incidents and feel confident that guidance and policies are being put into practice.’

‘We recognise it can be extremely difficult . . . to come forward and the pressure and burden that brings on individual­s, so this is why it is so important for employers to take the lead and invest in preventati­ve measures and effective support.’

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