Latest news with #JohnBarrowman
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
John Barrowman 'covered up' sexuality as he feared losing BBC job
Actor and presenter John Barrowman has claimed there was a culture of 'cover-up' at the BBC as he feared losing his job if his sexuality was known during the 1990s John Barrowman has accused the BBC of having a "cover-up" culture as he feared losing his job if he didn't follow suit. The actor, 58, claims he was "blacklisted" after accusations of flashing on the set of BBC shows were made against him. He has now made a fresh claim about the corporation, as he says he hid his sexuality. John was one of the original hosts of BBC's children TV show Live & Kicking in the 1990s. In a bombshell claim, he said: "In those days, at the BBC there was a culture, there was a lot of men who were married to women, but those men were clearly gay and they were running the stuff, or very powerful, strong single women who were running certain aspects of it, so there was a culture of cover-up, don't say anything, and I just slotted myself in." He added on the podcast Gay Old Time: "Because of the time, and it was children's television, so you could lose your job. But, for crying out loud, everybody was on the queer spectrum there." In a candid piece penned for The Guardian in 2008, John opened up about growing up in midwest America in the 1980s - where he remembered homosexuality being treated "like a curse". Although John "never doubted [his] sexuality," he felt he couldn't "make it a known thing," and put plenty of effort into fitting in. John, who knew he was gay from the age of eight-years-old, came out in his 20s after a health scare left him fearing the worst. He met his now-husband Scott Gill back in 1991 and they declared their love for each other in a small civil service ceremony in 2006. John continued to work with the BBC – appearing on shows such as Torchwood – until 2021. The Scottish-American star apologised in May 2021 when allegations emerged he had flashed cast members on the sets of both of his BBC TV shows, Doctor Who and Torchwood. Describing his behaviour as 'tomfoolery' he would not repeat, he slammed critics who said it was 'sexual harassment'. No charges were brought against him but a public backlash meant he lost his job as a judge on Dancing On Ice and was forced to cancel an upcoming UK tour. John said in a statement in 2021: "My high-spirited behaviour which was only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and back stage has been well-documented, including in my autobiographies and even in song. "There were a couple of times during filming where I'd resort to tomfoolery, but none of this was ever intended nor interpreted as being sexual in nature. "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. At no point was I ever made aware of any sexual harassment, bullying, or sexually predatory behaviour on set." Speaking of the incident on the podcast, he said the allegations were "misconstrued" and the incident was just "a bit of a carry on". He added: "If I was in a nude scene, completely naked, and if somebody walked on set, which they weren't supposed to, I might just do something like that [jiggles] and it was nothing outrageous. I didn't see it as outrageous. It was a different time." The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
John Barrowman makes astonishing gay 'cover-up' claim against the BBC - and says corporation was full of homosexual men 'married to women': RICHARD EDEN'S DIARY
Torchwood and Doctor Who star John Barrowman, who was 'blacklisted' over his on-set behaviour, claims there was a 'cover-up' culture at the . The Scottish-American actor, 58, was one of the original hosts of BBC children's programme Live & Kicking in the 1990s and says he was encouraged to hide his homosexuality.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Nineties TV legend looks unrecognisable 32 years after teen telly fame as she poses with controversial Doctor Who star
THIS nineties TV legend looks totally unrecognisable 32 years after reaching telly fame as a teen. The sitcom star posed alongside a controversial Doctor Who actor at a fan convention in Palm Springs. 5 The 51-year-old rose to fame as a child star in 1989, joining the cast of the High School comedy, Saved by The Bell, where she played Jessie Spano for four years. Now over three decades later, Elizabeth Berkley looks like she's barely aged a day. At a fan convention, Elizabeth posed alongside controversial Doctor Who star John Barrowman. The pair embraced whilst then comically posing in the pics uploaded to John's Instagram. He wrote: 'I had no idea @elizberkley knew who I was. 'She is iconic and an ally. We chatted, laughed and hit some poses. Then the B**** pushed me down the invisible stairs! A new friendship has erupted.' Controversial John was sacked from ITV's Dancing On Ice in 2021 when historical sexual misconduct claims surfaced. He was accused of flashing at the cast on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood where he appeared as Captain Jack Harkness between 2005 and 2011. Elizabeth is no stranger to controversy herself, after leaving Saved By The Bell to try to break into film, she got the role of Nomi Malone in the problematic 1995 film Showgirls. The saucy film which featured extensive nudity was widely slammed by critics, but over the years has gone on to become a cult classic. Star of hit nineties sitcom looks unrecognisable in popular drama - but can you guess who it is? Elizabeth, who has a PhD, went on to become a bestselling author with her self-help book, as well as appearing on the West End and Broadway and in TV shows like CSI: Miami. Fans took to the comments gushing over the pair, one user said: 'Two of my favorite celebrities, this is the collaboration of talent I've always wanted to see' 'Jessie Spano X Captain Jack!' chimed another. 'Love her!! Awesome pictures,' added a third. Other TV shows Elizabeth has appeared on include Titus and most recently the hit Netflix show Cobra Kai starring Ralph Macchio. The mom-of-one shares son Sky with actor, fashion designer and painter Greg Lauren. He is also the the nephew of the world renown fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Greg and Elizabeth tied the knot in 2003 after the duo met at a dance class three years prior. 5 5 5
