John Barrowman takes to stage in Doctor Who dress and heels

Doctor Who star John Barrowman appeared on stage in a themed dress and heels as he spoke in a Q&A panel on the main stage at Oz Comic Con in Sydney this weekend

John Barrowman has appeared at the Oz Comic Con in Sydney, taking to the stage in a Doctor Who dress and heels.

The actor, who played Captain Jack Harkness in both the main Doctor Who series and its spin off show Torchwood, was on the main stage Q&A panel, where he answered fans' questions about the beloved fantasy show. Held at The Dome as Sydney Showground, the event caters for fans of all things sci-fi and fantasy, and is on this weekend in the Australian city, running on 21 and 22 September.

The annual event sees industry figures - actors, voice actors, professional cosplayers, artists, writers and more - come together celebrate all things pop culture.

John Barrowman thrilled crowds with his attire for his appearance, which saw him sport a Doctor Who themed dress and heels. He took to X to show his legion of adoring fans cheering him on, writing: "Day one @OzComicCon spreading the joy and having an awesome time. See you all tomorrow for another cosplay and outrageous panel."

The 57-year-old won hoardes of sci-fi fans with his portrayal of charismatic Captain Jack Harkness in the long-running show, making his first appearance in 2005. The character was so popular that John was even given his own spin-off, Torchwood, which ran from 2006 to 2011.

Torchwood saw John explore more adult themes than the original Doctor Who, with Captain Jack's bisexuality marking the first openly LGBTQ+ character in the franchise's history. But although a huge success, allegations emerged from behind the scenes, with Barrowman at the centre of the scandal.

The actor was accused of exposing himself to crew and cast on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood, with numerous witnesses describing the incidents as inappropriate and pranks, instead of any sinister behaviour.

John responded to the allegations at the time, saying he was trying to make upcoming sex scenes less awkward. He told the paper: "So I'd be waiting in my trailer wearing just a robe with a sock over my 'parts'. Then, if I were standing waiting to film a scene where I needed to be nude and someone came into view, I'd make a joke to put them and myself at ease. My actions were simply designed to defuse any potential awkwardness among the cast and crew."

He added that he isn't the sort of person to be "embarrassed" about his body, saying he wasn't bothered about the sex scenes, referring to the flashing claims as "tomfoolery", asserting that there was "nothing sexual" about his actions.

Earlier this week, John said he had suicidal thoughts over the scandal. He told The Mirror: “I had thoughts of suicide, going out and trying to do certain things and harm myself, and a couple of times debating how I was going to kill myself. It was only the thought of the heartbreak it would cause his parents and husband Scott Gill, that John thought better of it. The thing was I couldn’t do it because of my family and friends,” says John.

"I lost a lot of trust in other people after what I went through because people that I thought would’ve been there for me, ran,” he says. “And a lot of them put themselves on the moral high ground and, to be honest with you, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

“The sad fact is not every one of them was toxic, they were just chicken s**t. They’re scared. They’re so scared of their own shadows and what they have done that they’re trying to protect themselves. I’ve always been there for people. No matter if you come to me and I might not have seen you in five to 10 years and you need help with something, I’m there to help you. And that was the big realisation: a lot of people don’t give a s**t.”

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