After previously pulling the adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence from the schedules, it’s now been announced that the BBC will now recast its star Ed Westwick.
The actor has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, which led to the channel putting both Ordeal and sitcom White Gold on hold late last year. The former was originally set to air over the Christmas period.
Christian Cooke will replace Westwick in the series, and a new air date will likely be announced once production is underway. Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Matthew Goode, Eleanor Tomlinson, Anthony Boyle, Luke Teadaway, Morven Christie, Crystal Clarke, Elle Purnell, and Alice Eve also star.
News on White Gold when we hear it.
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11/11/17: Just one of a series of assault and harrassment allegations to come out of the woodwork in recent weeks, accusations against British actor Ed Westwick have resulted in the BBC pulling upcoming Agatha Christie adaptation Ordeal by Innocence from its schedule.
We won’t go into the details of the allegations – which Westwick has deined – here, but this also puts the future of White Gold, which began filming series 2 last month, into question.
The BBC said in a statement: “These are serious allegations which Ed Westwick has strenuously denied. The BBC is not making any judgment, but until these matters are resolved we will not include Ordeal by Innocence in the schedules. The independent production company making White Gold has informed us that Ed Westwick has paused from filming while he deals with these allegations.”