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9 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE: UK agency Bodhi Talent has been accused of exploiting the acting dreams of children by charging their parents potentially unlawful representation fees worth hundreds of pounds.
A Deadline investigation revealed last week how Manchester-based Bodhi had been accused of sending clients fake invitations for self-tape auditions and breaking regulations by withholding paychecks from actors.
The company, which has repped soap stars including Emma Rigby, has since faced a reckoning. Several clients quit the agency and others went public with claims that they are owed money, including actor Luke Anthony Jr, who alleged in an emotional Twitter/X video that he was not paid for a job last year.
Now Deadline can reveal that a group of parents are on the warpath after claiming they have been “scammed” by Bodhi’s sister agency, Luna Kids Casting, which was set up to represent children and claims to have worked with the likes of Nickelodeon and the BBC.
Some parents have reported the agency to regulator the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, which said it was prepared to investigate Luna’s compliance with the Employment Agencies Act. Others said they are also exploring legal action.
Archie Purnell, the founder of Bodhi and Luna, has not responded to requests for comment about his children’s agency. Sources said Purnell is “ghosting” their messages after saying he would take “a few days” away from the office following Deadline’s exposé. He previously denied allegations about his professional conduct.
Deadline has been privy to a WhatsApp group in which more than a dozen parents have been left shellshocked by their experience with Luna. The individuals were charged up to £500 ($627) in fees to access acting roles for their children, but several complained that jobs never materialized.
The agency staged at least three open audition days last year as part of a recruitment drive. Parents who attended these auditions estimated that around 20 children participated in at least one of the sessions.
“Archie led the session, and was very charismatic, [and] spent a lot of time getting the kids excited about the industry, building up their hopes. I particularly remember him talking a lot about the money they’ll get,” recalled one parent who wished to remain anonymous.
Those who were successful were sent an offer letter and contract detailing the cost of signing, with headshots being the biggest fee. Parents were asked to enclose up to £180 in cash in an envelope and hand it to a receptionist on the day of their child’s photoshoot at Bodhi-owned Access Studios.
UK laws do allow agents to charge for photographs, but the cost has to be comparable to the price of taking the headshots and reps should not make a profit from this activity, according to a source who is an expert in agency regulations.
Anthony Jr, the actor who claims he is owed money by Bodhi, said in a video on X that he also works as a photographer and did four Luna photoshoots as a “favor” to Purnell. In the X video, Anthony Jr estimated that Purnell pocketed £10,000 from these shoots alone, which could mean around 55 children were processed as Luna clients in this period.
Furthermore, a Luna contract reviewed by Deadline makes clear that the client should pay a monthly £12 (£14.40 including value-added tax) fee for the cost of “promotion and publication” of a child actor. This is potentially unlawful under UK legislation because it is not an “accepted service for a defined outcome,” according to the agency regulation expert.
Luna asked parents for an initial fee of £55 (£66 with VAT) for uploading their children’s details to a website, which is potentially allowable under regulations. Luna also took around £120 from parents to set up their children’s profiles on Spotlight, which is in line with what the European casting directory charges for an annual membership.
Other stipulations in the Luna contract included charging a 10% commission on chaperone fees and holding clients to notice periods, both of which fall below industry standards as set out by the Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA). Luna is not a member of the AYPA.
At no point in the contract reviewed by Deadline does it state that Luna clients are entitled to a full refund should they withdraw from the agency within 30 days. This so-called “cooling off” period should be made explicit in writing, according to experts. Luna’s only reference to a refund is a clause saying: “All agency fees are non-refundable and cannot be carried forward or paused.”
At least three parents said they had little or no communication from Luna after their children signed with the agency last year. Six parents told Deadline that their children did not book work through Luna, though two said their children were sent auditions.
“I contacted him [Purnell] just last month to see why [it was] so quiet. He said it was the writers strike and things should pick up now,” said one parent.
Natalie Wright, whose 12-year-old daughter became a Luna client last July, said she raised concerns after she “heard nothing” from Purnell, despite making regular payments to Luna. In an email, Purnell accused Wright of having a “lack of trust” and suggested she move on. “As much as we would hate to lose her [Wright’s daughter], I don’t want to feel like we’re going around in circles,” he added.
Wright told Deadline: “I just feel so angry. I feel like we’ve just been robbed when you look back on what he was saying at the audition, compared to what was actually delivered.”
Deadline has uncovered a series of allegations about Purnell, including that he has sent actors illegitimate briefs for self-tape auditions and failed to observe industry best practice in contracts by holding clients to notice periods. Bodhi is currently at risk of being struck off the UK Companies House register for filing its accounts late.
Purnell sent an email to clients last week saying he was “heartbroken” at the allegations, which he claimed were “false” and created by an individual who had previously attempted to “jeopardise my character.” He did not identify this individual in the email, which was co-signed by his business partner Ricky Cortis.
