John Barrowman explains why he felt the need to expose himself on set of Torchwood

‘My actions were simply designed to defuse any potential awkwardness,’ he said

John Barrowman has clarified why he exposed himself on the set of Torchwood.

In May 2021, the actor admitted to “tomfoolery” on the set of the BBC shows after a 2015 video from a fan convention was unearthed, in which co-star Noel Clarke alleged that he took “his d*** out every five minutes”.

At one point in the clip, Clarke asked his co-star Camille Coduri whether she remembers “that time he put it on your shoulder in the make-up truck?” to which she responded: “Yes, I do.”

Speaking to the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, Barrowman said: “The moment has come to set the record straight. This is the first time – and the last – I will address this subject. And then I plan to draw a thick black line under it.”

The actor claimed his actions were intended to keep his co-stars “entertained” ahead of the show’s nude scenes, saying: “If I were standing waiting to film a scene where I needed to be nude and someone came into view, I’d make a joke to put them and myself at ease.”

“My actions were simply designed to defuse any potential awkwardness among the cast and crew.”

Barrowman continued: “I’ve never been someone who’s embarrassed about his body so it didn’t bother me if anyone saw me naked. The motivation for what I’d call my ‘tomfoolery’ was to maintain a jokey atmosphere.”

“There was absolutely nothing sexual about my actions and nor have I ever been accused of that.”

He admitted that he was told to “grow up” by Doctor Who and Torchwood executive producer Julie Gardner after she received a complaint about the actor’s “antics”.

John Barrowman said his actions were intended to ‘defuse any potential awkwardness’ (Getty)

Barrowman, who acknowledged the “offence” his actions caused, also revealed he has sought therapy over the controversy as it was “upsetting” his mental health.

“I won’t discuss what I’ve said in therapy sessions – that’s a matter of doctor/patient confidentiality – but I don’t mind admitting it’s helped me a great deal,” he said.