Noel Clarke: Ashley Walters says he ‘cannot stand by and ignore allegations’ against Bulletproof co-star

20 women have come forward with allegations against Clarke

Clarke and Walters in 2018 (Getty Images)

Ashley Walters has shared a message of support for the women who alleged they were sexually harassed by his co-star Noel Clarke.

On Thursday (29 April), a Guardian report shared allegations by 20 women about actor and director Clarke, who they claimed had a repeated history of sexual harassment, unwanted touching and bullying from between the years 2004 and 2019.

Clarke has “vehemently” denied “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing” and, in a statement, said he intended to “defend myself against these false allegations”.

In a statement shared on social media on Friday (30 April), Walters, who appears alongside Clarke in the Sky series Bulletproof, said that while he was “deeply saddened” by the allegations, he could not “ignore” them.

“My thoughts are with the women who have come forward and told their awful stories, I am in shock and deeply saddened by what I have heard on a multitude of levels,” Walters wrote.

“I could never condone behaviour of this nature neither in nor out of the workplace, and whilst Noel has been a friend and colleague for several years, I cannot stand by and ignore these allegations.”

The Top Boy star continued: “Sexual harassment, abuse and bullying have no place in our industry. Every woman has the right to a safe workplace and moving forward I pledge my dedication to this.”

Earlier on Friday, Sky announced that it was “halting” work with Clarke. The actor had starred in and co-created Bulletproof for the network, with a fourth series having been commissioned in January.