The following story contains graphic details of attempted suicide, and reader discretion is advised.
Noel Clarke says he “lost everything” and was suicidal following sexual harassment allegations made against him last year.
In April 2021, a report was published in the Guardian that saw 20 women accuse Clarke of a variety of wrongdoings – from alleged bullying to sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact. Clarke said in a statement at the time that he “vehemently” denied at the allegations.
The fallout included BAFTA suspending Clarke’s membership (for which he has sued the organisation), while police have said there is not enough evidence to launch a criminal investigation into the allegations.
In a new interview with the Mail On Sunday, Clarke has spoken about the ordeal for the first time, saying the allegations “damaged me in a way I cannot articulate… I lost everything”.
He continued: “20 years of work was in gone in 24 hours. 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… I think sometimes these are just normal conversations people have.”
He added: “I was never involved in any conversation that I didn’t believe was mutual.”
In the same interview, Clarke revealed that he became suicidal after the allegations were made, saying: “I needed to do something unsurvivable,” and revealing that he found a knife he bought while filming Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in the United States two decades ago, with the intention of cutting his own throat.
“I was reaching for a book and the knife fell out of my pocket. My 11-year-old said, ‘Daddy, why have you got that?’” he added.
“I said, ‘It’s just to pick the dirt out of my nails…’ And he said, ‘Oh, OK,’ and somehow the ordinariness of that snapped me out of it. Up to that point, I had been waiting for the right moment to kill myself. I was out of here. Done. I didn’t care about anything. My mind was destroyed.”
After the news of the allegations against Clarke surfaced, ITV made the decision to pull the finale of Clarke’s show Viewpoint. Sky, meanwhile, dropped Clarke and suspended production on the new season of Bulletproof until further notice.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
For help and advice on mental health:
