EastEnders actor arrested on set as 'assault' left woman 'very distressed'
An actor was arrested on the set of EastEnders following an alleged assault that left a woman "clearly very distressed", reports say.
Cameras stopped rolling at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire, on May 7 after a woman complained that a fellow extra, a man in his 50s, had tried to forcibly kiss her. Security stepped in to grab the man, which led to a scuffle before the actor was handed over to police.
According to reports, the man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault of the woman and of common assault against another person, which is alleged to have happened while he was escorted away. He is said to have been released on bail while investigations continue.
Filming resumed after the incident. A source told The Sun that the incident was "dramatic" and "everyone was quite shaken by up by it all." The witness said: "No one could quite believe what was happening.
"The main focus was the woman's welfare, as she was clearly very distressed. Obviously, filming had to be stopped while the incident was dealt with by production managers and security.
"It got very heated when the man squared up to the security staff as they tried to calm things. Eventually, he was questioned and taken away by police."
It is understood that the cameras didn't capture footage of the alleged attack, but it's not clear whether the scenes filmed on the day of the incident have been screened on TV yet. According to the publication, Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera, was one of the stars filming at the time.
The source added that "everyone involved in the production, including the cast and crew, acted very responsibly in an extremely difficult situation." Crew members were said to be grateful to bosses for the "professionalism and understanding" they showed in handling the incident.
Hertfordshire Police confirmed that a suspect in his 50s was "arrested on suspicion of common assault and sexual assault in relation to two victims." The force added: "He is on police bail whilst enquiries continue."
EastEnders said in a statement on Saturday: "While we would never comment on individuals, EastEnders has on-site security and well-established procedures in place to safeguard the safety and welfare of everyone who works on the show."
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