Executive calls for regulations on drama after film libel victory

A university executive who won damages over his portrayal in Steve Coogan's film The Lost King has urged Ofcom to strengthen regulation of fact-based drama, after what he described as a three-year "anxious, stressful and hurtful" ordeal.

- Matthew Pearce

Richard Taylor, formerly deputy registrar at the University of Leicester, sued Coogan, the film's production company Baby Cow, and distributors Pathé over his portrayal in the 2022 film about the discovery of Richard III's remains in a Leicester car park.

The parties reached a settlement requiring damages, a clarification to appear on the film, and an undertaking not to repeat the defamatory claims. A judge had found Taylor was shown in an "unrelentingly negative and defamatory" light.

Taylor said Ofcom "need clearer guidance" to stop similar misrepresentations in the future. "They have a lot to say about news accuracy but much less about fact-based drama, which sits in a grey area," he said. "Ofcom should tighten that so people like me don't have to rush off to the libel courts when nonsense like The Lost King happens."