BBC drama London Kills axed amid Full Monty claims against Hugo Speer
Top BBC detective drama London Kills is axed amid Full Monty claims against star Hugo Speer
The hard-hitting BBC detective drama London Kills has been axed after claims of inappropriate behaviour were made against its star Hugo Speer while making another show.
The cast and crew who had been due to start work in September on its next series were informed last week that it had been pulled.
The team were told that the decision had been made in light of recent allegations that a naked Speer had invited a woman into his trailer during filming of the Disney+ reboot of the classic movie The Full Monty.
The father-of-two has denied any misconduct.
Hard-hitting BBC detective drama London Kills has been axed after claims of inappropriate behaviour were made against actor Hugo Speer while filming The Full Monty reboot
Many London Kills employees – mostly freelance – are furious at losing the work. A source said: ‘The crew and cast were all ready to get going on the next series.
‘But a matter of weeks before it was due to start filming, they were suddenly told it’s off, that the filming was cancelled.
‘While it is perhaps understandable that it’s difficult to go ahead when there have been allegations about the lead actor, it is going to unsettle people.’
London Kills centres on an elite murder investigation squad in London, headed by Detective Inspector David Bradford, who is portrayed by Speer.
The 54-year-old actor had his contract with Disney+ terminated with immediate effect
He is an experienced detective whose judgment is called into question following the unexpected disappearance of his wife.
Earlier this month, it emerged that Speer, 54, who played Guy in the acclaimed original 1997 film of The Full Monty, had had his contract with Disney+ terminated with immediate effect.
He had allegedly gestured to a show runner in her 20s to enter his trailer while he was naked.
The unnamed woman alleged she was sent to knock on the door of the actor’s trailer and he wasn’t wearing any clothes when he answered.
Speer has denied the claims, with his representative saying: ‘Hugo denies all the allegations and is challenging all of them.’
According to reports, Speer had been previously warned about walking around his trailer naked.
Speer (centre) with the cast of the Disney+ reboot of The Full Monty, comprising Wim Snape, Paul Barber, Robert Carlyle, Steve Huison, Lesley Sharp and Mark Addy
But he was reported to have defended his on-set conduct, telling producers: ‘All actors walk around their trailer stark b****** naked.’
The eight-hour TV series reboot of The Full Monty began filming in March with cast members from the Bafta-winning original, including Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Lesley Sharp, Paul Barber, Steve Huison and Tom Wilkinson.
The original movie, about six unemployed men in Sheffield who decide to form a striptease act to make money, had a budget of just £2.8million but grossed £207million around the world.
It was the highest-grossing film in the UK until being overtaken by the blockbuster Titanic.
According to insiders, the Disney+ revival was expected to feature the characters with their children and grandchildren as they navigated the city’s ‘crumbling healthcare, education and employment sectors’.
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