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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.
Richard Taylor, formerly deputy registrar at the University of Leicester, sued Coogan as well as the film’s production company, Baby Cow, and the distributor 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 needed “clearer guidance” to stop similar misrepresentations happening in 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.”
Regarding fact-based drama, he added: “Not every single scene has got to be true, not every single conversation has got to be true, but if you’re presenting it as a true story, it has got to be substantially true. And if it’s not, you need to change the names of characters, change the names of organisations in it and tell the story in a very different way than if you are claiming it is a true story.”
While stressing he did not want to “tie writers up in knots”, Taylor said the case should prompt Ofcom to act. “This outcome is potentially quite challenging for people writing these dramas now … but Ofcom stepping in would be helpful.”
Reflecting on the settlement, Taylor said he felt “relieved and happy, regretful that I ever needed” to bring the case, but that he remained frustrated that the film would continue to be shown. “I’d rather it was edited. I’d rather the whole film was withdrawn,” he said.
Under the settlement, a statement must appear for at least five seconds after the title card, clarifying that the “Mr Taylor” depicted is a fictionalised character. “In effect, the film’s going to have to say: ‘based on a true story, but actually the main villain is completely made up because the real guy [of the same name] was acting with integrity’. I think that’s going to make the film pretty ridiculous.”
Taylor, now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, also criticised the film-makers for “not checking the facts” about events shown in the film. He said that, before the film’s release, Coogan and his collaborators “didn’t take me seriously” when he raised concerns about being misrepresented.
“My view is that they were dismissive,” he said. “Steve Coogan’s never anything other than certain of his own righteousness, and I think he still thinks he was right in doing this.”
Coogan said in a statement that he would have “preferred” for a judge to rule on the case, and that he was “happy” with the story the film told.
Taylor said the film-makers failed to verify basic details, including claims that he had excluded The Lost King’s protagonist, Philippa Langley, from press conferences. “If you’re told Philippa was excluded, you go and check that,” he said. “There’s video on YouTube showing her quite clearly speaking at all of them. They didn’t check the facts.”
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Taylor described the experience of being falsely portrayed in a film as “really hurtful”, adding: “The problem is you don’t know what people are saying about you, do you? My integrity is really important to me.”
“I feel I should never have been in that position and to do all of that over a portrayal that was false,” he said. “For the last three years it’s been … moments where it’s really quite intense and you feel quite anxious, quite stressed, quite worried.”
A joint statement from Pathe Productions, Baby Cow Productions and Steve Coogan said: “As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.
“We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled.”
