Noel Clarke’s libel fight collapses as judge orders £3m payment to Guardian

Actor loses libel case over misconduct reports and faces multimillion-pound costs order

Actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke has been ordered to pay at least £3m to the Guardian’s publisher after losing his libel case against the newspaper in the High Court. The ruling marks the latest stage in a lengthy dispute over reports first published in 2021 in which multiple women alleged that Clarke had engaged in inappropriate and exploitative behaviour in the entertainment industry.

The 49-year-old, best known for his role in Doctor Who and for creating the Kidulthood trilogy, had argued that the Guardian’s reporting was defamatory and that the claims were false. However, in August this year Mrs Justice Steyn dismissed the libel action after a six-week trial, finding that the Guardian had succeeded in proving the truth of its stories and that the publication was in the public interest. The outcome left Clarke not only without a legal victory but now facing a multimillion-pound financial order.

At Tuesday’s hearing in London, the judge confirmed that Clarke must make an interim payment of £3m towards the Guardian’s legal costs, which are expected to total around £6m. Gavin Millar KC, acting for Guardian News and Media, had asked the court to order payment of half the estimated bill. Mrs Justice Steyn agreed, ruling that the amount was proportionate and fell below what the publisher was likely to recover when a detailed assessment is carried out.

In her judgment, the judge said: “The claimant maintained a far-fetched and indeed a false case that the articles were not substantially true, by pursuing allegations of dishonesty and bad faith against almost all of the defendant’s truth witnesses.” She added that the £3m figure provided sufficient margin for error while reflecting the Guardian’s strong position following the dismissal of the claim.

Clarke, who represented himself after his legal team stepped down due to lack of funding, argued that the costs were excessive and should take into account his limited means. He became emotional during the hearing, telling the court that the order would devastate his family and punish his children as well as himself. “My wife and children live every day under the shadow of uncertainty. We remortgaged our home just to survive,” he said. He also told the judge that he had lost his career, savings, legal support and much of his health since the allegations were first reported.

He asked the court to hold off on enforcing the costs until he could pursue an appeal, but this was rejected. The judge ordered that payment must be made within 28 days. Clarke also said he did not bring the case maliciously and that he simply sought to challenge what he considered to be damaging allegations.

The Guardian’s stories in 2021 featured accounts from several women who had worked with Clarke and accused him of harassment and sexual misconduct. While Clarke denied the claims, the High Court concluded that the paper had established their substantial truth. The reporting effectively ended Clarke’s career, with major projects and industry partnerships collapsing in the aftermath of the publication.

The case has left the actor with serious financial liabilities. The Guardian’s estimate of £6m in legal costs may still rise, subject to detailed court assessment, but the immediate £3m payment represents a heavy burden. In written submissions, Clarke said his family had already been forced to remortgage their home and he warned that any further order could be crushing.

For Guardian News and Media, the judgment provides a strong vindication of its journalism, confirming both the accuracy and public interest of the reports. For Clarke, it represents a dramatic fall from a once-prominent career in British television and film to a damaging legal defeat with severe financial consequences.