Noel Clarke ordered to pay at least £3 million in Guardian cost ruling
High Court finds Clarke's case against Guardian News and Media unfounded and sets interim costs
A High Court judge ordered Noel Clarke to pay at least £3 million of Guardian News and Media's legal costs after the Doctor Who actor pursued a case against coverage of sexual misconduct allegations that the court described as far-fetched and false. Clarke, 49, sued Guardian News and Media over seven articles and a podcast, including an April 2021 report that 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct.
Mrs Justice Steyn ordered Clarke to pay £3 million within 28 days, with the total costs expected to exceed £6 million after a detailed assessment. Gavin Millar KC, for Guardian News and Media, said the overall costs were above £6 million, reflecting the large volume of material reviewed, including thousands of documents, audio recordings and transcripts. Guardian News and Media had defended its reporting as true and in the public interest. Clarke had initially sought damages of £10 million, which then rose to £40 million, then £70 million as the case progressed.
In her ruling, the judge found Clarke was not a credible witness during the trial and showed a pattern of only admitting evidence that matched documentary records. The decision also noted Clarke had alleged a conspiracy among Guardian News and Media and several of the women who made accusations, a claim the court said unnecessarily expanded the scope and cost of the litigation.
Clarke, who represented himself at the hearing, argued that the order should reflect his financial means and the human costs of the proceedings. He said he had lost acting work, his savings and had remortgaged his home to survive, and he described the costs order as excessive. He also said he had used ChatGPT to help prepare his response. He asked the court to suspend the payment pending any appeal.
Clarke is best known for his role as Mickey in Doctor Who. The ruling underscores the high stakes in media scrutiny of sexual misconduct allegations and the expenses that accompany high-profile defamation-style cases.