ITV says talk of John Barrowman's future is 'premature' amid Dancing on Ice axe rumours
Reports have claimed that the Doctor Who star has been removed from the judging panel.
ITV has said that talk of John Barrowman's future on the channel is "premature" amid reports that the Doctor Who star has been axed from the Dancing on Ice judging panel.
A report in The Sun has claimed that Barrowman will not appear on the 2022 series of the hit ice skating competition show, after allegations that the actor had frequently exposed himself on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood came to light earlier this month.
But RadioTimes.com understands that no such decision has been made as yet, and indeed a production team for next year's show hasn't even been assembled at this stage.
An ITV spokesperson told us, "Any discussions regarding the 2022 series of Dancing on Ice are very premature. Production has yet to commence.”
Of course, this does not mean that Barrowman will definitely be appearing on the panel next year – simply that discussions have not yet taken place.
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The Sun's report quoted an anonymous source as saying, "Ever since allegations against John came to light, discussions have been ongoing over his future on the panel of Dancing On Ice.
"But the feeling now is there is no way we can invite him back. ITV has shown they are prepared to act decisively when stars are accused of inappropriate behaviour. And it seems this situation will not be the exception to the rule."
The allegations against Barrowman came to light after a 2014 video featuring his Doctor Who co-star Noel Clarke resurfaced. In the clip, Clarke, who has been accused of sexual harassment on the set of Doctor Who and denies the allegations, said Barrowman would expose himself on the production.
Barrowman addressed allegations in a statement released to The Guardian, saying that his "high-spirited behaviour” was “only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage".
He added: “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.”
The star has already been removed from interactive adventure Doctor Who: Time Fracture, in which he was originally set to reprise the role of Captain Jack Harkness in a pre-recorded clip.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who audio producers Big Finish announced they would not be moving forward with the release of the story Torchwood: Absent Friends, in which Barrowman was set to star.
Earlier this month, MP Alec Shelbrooke told The Sun on Sunday that Barrowman should step down from Dancing on Ice as it is a “family show”.
“Inappropriate behaviour like this is not acceptable no matter what the circumstances,” he said. “ITV and the BBC have a responsibility with the standards they set.
“Dancing On Ice is a family show and ITV shouldn’t be willing to indulge this behaviour in any way. It’s incumbent on broadcasters to show they are not condoning such behaviour in any way.”
Dancing on Ice will be back on our screens in 2022. To find out what’s on telly tonight, check out our TV Guide.
