The production, spearheaded by Alan Patridge star Steve Coogan and delivered by Pathe Productions, followed the perspective of Philippa Langley, an amateur historian, and featured Richard Taylor, the former Deputy Registrar at the University of Leicester.
In an ongoing legal battle, Taylor sued Coogan for his depiction in the film, claiming that he was portrayed in a defamatory light.
Today, Monday 27 October 2025, it is announced that Mr Taylor has been successful in his claim against Pathe Productions and Mr Coogan, agreeing a settlement and ensuring that the film be changed and defamatory comments not repeated. A Statement in Open Court has been made in front of Her Honour Mrs Justice Collins Rice representing success and vindication.
Statement by Richard Taylor, Chief Operating Officer at Loughborough University
Today the producers of ’The Lost King’, including Steve Coogan, have finally accepted that their film is an untrue and defamatory portrayal of me and the search for Richard III. It is a reckless hit job on my reputation and that of my academic colleagues.
The producers will pay substantial damages to me and cover the very significant costs of my legal team, and have agreed to make key changes to the film. The Statement in Open Court made today (Monday 27 October 2025) in front of Her Honour Mrs Justice Collins Rice represents success and vindication.
Whilst it is clear to me that the Defendants were misled as to the events of the discovery, they made a deliberate choice to accept those accounts, failing to speak or check basic facts.
This irresponsible failure erased the critical contribution that my academic colleagues made in leading the archaeological search and conducting the scientific analysis that led to the discovery of Richard III. Our work is twisted into a false caricature of university elitism, ivory-towers and self-interest.
That Steve Coogan, a man who has publicly condemned the media for misrepresentation and intrusion including, stridently, at the Leveson Inquiry, should be at the centre of broadcasting defamatory misrepresentations about others, in my opinion is hypocrisy of the highest order.
The BBC’s role as owner of Baby Cow and funder of the film also deserves scrutiny. The Director General received in writing the concerns about the film from my MP but took no action that I am aware of. Senior BBC executives planned to give witness evidence in defence of the film. Consequently, as a private individual, I’ve had to pursue action through the courts to achieve today’s outcome.
I have always said that the discovery of Richard III was a triumph of collaboration. Three things were essential for it to happen:
- Philippa Langley’s initiation of the project and driving confidence that it was possible for Richard III to be found. Hers was a remarkable contribution. But it did not extend to leading the archaeological search or scientific analysis, for which she was neither qualified nor experienced to lead.
- My academic colleagues at the University of Leicester who led the archaeological search and who used their skill and experience to discover and identify the remains
- My own role – I could have dropped Philippa’s approach for help into the waste bin when it arrived in 2011 and there have been days over the last three years when I wished that I had. But I didn’t, and my decision to deploy the resources and expertise of the University enabled this search to happen.
This outcome belongs to the team of academics, volunteers and experts whose skill, dedication, and integrity helped make this extraordinary achievement possible, and showed British universities at their collaborative best.
This has been a long and gruelling battle. I am grateful to my family, my colleagues, and my legal team* for standing by me in defending my name and our universities – and, in a small way, pushing back against the post-truth culture that pervades today.
* Daniel Jennings, defamation partner and Simran Kang at Shakespeare Martineau. And William Bennett KC and Victoria Jolliffe at 5RB Chambers. They were all brilliant!
Statement by Daniel Jennings, defamation partner at Shakespeare Martineau, who represented Mr Taylor
“This is a defamation David and Goliath moment and confirms what Mr Taylor has always believed: that his portrayal in “The Lost King” was damaging, harmful and untrue. Individuals often feel unable to speak up against large corporations and well-known personalities, but this win demonstrates that there is recourse when wrongs have been committed.
“We live in an era of documentaries, podcasts and very public investigative journalism and there’s a growing trend for film and television productions to be labelled as ‘true accounts’ to grab audience attention and generate media buzz around new releases. Mr Taylor’s win should act as a real warning for anyone looking to use those tactics. The law is very clear and there are defined routes to compensation for individuals who find themselves misrepresented.
“It’s been a long battle for Mr Taylor which has ended successfully, however it’s hard to ignore the fact that the shine has been taken off what should have been a moment of celebration for one of the country’s greatest archaeological discoveries.
“The way that Mr Taylor was being portrayed in the film by Pathe Productions and Mr Coogan was defamatory, and they still chose to go ahead. The court’s order recognises this in favour of the individual in what could be the first of many defamation rulings if our appetite for ‘true accounts’ continues to gather pace.”
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If you would like an interview with Richard Taylor or his legal team please email Judy Wing or call 07814 950443.