COPS arrested an actor on the EastEnders set over an alleged indecent assault — as shocked stars including Adam Woodyatt looked on.

Stars had been filming scenes when cameras stopped rolling after a woman complained a fellow extra, a man in his 50s, had tried to forcibly snog her.

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Aerial view of the Queen Victoria pub and surrounding buildings.

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Cops arrested an actor on the EastEnders set over an alleged indecent assaultCredit: BBC
Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale in EastEnders.

Adam Woodyatt was on set at the time of the incident and watched on as another actor was arrestedCredit: BBC
Silhouette of a person.

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The man remains on bail while the complaint is investigated (stock)
Security rushed to grab the man which is said to have triggered a scuffle.

He was eventually handed over to police at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire.

The man was held on suspicion of indecent assault of the female extra, and of common assault against a separate person — understood to be linked to the commotion escorting him away.

He remains on bail while the complaint is investigated.

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Filming then resumed following a lengthy break, during which the woman was looked after by staff from the BBC soap.

A source told The Sun on Sunday: “In all the years of filming EastEnders nothing this dramatic has happened — with police turning up at the studios.

“Everyone was quite shaken up by it all. No one could quite believe what was happening.

“The main focus was the woman’s welfare as she was clearly very distressed.

“Obviously filming had to be stopped while the incident was dealt with by production managers and security.

“It got very heated when the man squared up to the security staff as they tried to calm things.

Actor arrested on set of hit TV show Rivals in front of shocked crew moments after filming scene with star Danny Dyer

“Eventually he was questioned and taken away by police.”

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: “We can confirm we did receive a report of an incident that took place in Eldon Avenue, Borehamwood on Wednesday May 7.

“The suspect, a man aged in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of common assault and sexual assault in relation to two victims.

“He is on police bail whilst enquiries continue.”

‘Extremely difficult situation’
The soap’s longest-serving star Adam, 57, who plays Ian Beale, was one of those who had been filming on set when the alleged indecent assault took place.

Other stars of the soap, filming just yards from the Queen Vic pub, were also said to be present.

It is understood the cameras did not capture footage of the alleged attack.

Everyone was quite shaken up by it all. No one could quite believe what was happening

Source

The soap is filmed several weeks in advance of episodes showing on BBC1. It is not known if the scenes from May 7 have been screened yet.

Two Metropolitan Police officers in high-visibility jackets patrol Oxford Street in London.

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The man was handed over to police at Elstree StudiosCredit: alamy
EastEnders logo over a map of London.

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The soap is filmed several weeks in advance of episodes showing on BBC1 and it is not known if the scenes from May 7 have been screened yetCredit: PA:Press Association
The source added: “Filming was actually going on in the ­fictional Albert Square set at the time the woman made her ­complaint.

“She was working as an extra, as was the alleged assailant.

“She complained that he had tried to kiss her without her consent.

“Everyone involved in the production, including the cast and crew, acted very responsibly in an extremely difficult situation.

“Adam Woodyatt was one of the star names who were involved in filming at the time.

“They had to look after the woman while also reporting it to the police who turned up at the studios and arrested the man.”

Directors ordered a lengthy break before the shaken actors and crew could resume filming.

Crew members were said to be grateful to bosses for their “professionalism and understanding” in how it was handled.

Last night EastEnders said in a statement: “While we would never comment on individuals, EastEnders has on-site security and well-established procedures in place to safeguard the safety and welfare of everyone who works on the show.”

Everyone involved in the production, including the cast and crew, acted very responsibly

Source

Adam appeared in the soap’s first episode in 1985.

He also played a major role in the show’s 40th anniversary episodes this February when his fictional wife Cindy’s Christmas Day attacker was revealed.

The couple have been reunited after he took a break from the soap in 2021 to appear in I’m A Celebrity and a touring theatre play.

When Adam returned to Albert Square, his character Ian was reunited with his presumed dead wife Cindy (Michelle Collins), who was revealed to have been in witness protection.

Throughout his long tenure in the soap’s fictional Walford, Ian has been married six times to five women and had two failed engagements.

He has also fathered three children and acted as a father figure to much younger half-brother Ben Mitchell.

Last month we exclusively revealed an extra was arrested on the set of Disney+ drama Rivals an hour after he filmed a scene with Danny Dyer.

Nigel Adams, 45, was led away by cops in handcuffs from the set at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, accused of assaulting his then ex-girlfriend.

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He was charged and appeared at Bristol crown court last Monday but the case was dropped after the alleged victim declined to give evidence.

In another case of an on-set arrest, Vanilla Ice — real name Robert Van Winkle — was held on suspicion of burglary during filming of reality TV show The Vanilla Ice Project in Florida in 2015.