BBC in turmoil over disturbing claims in opposition to suspended presenter
BBC confirms male workers member suspended over allegations
A well known male presenter who’s accused of paying an adolescent £35,000 for specific photos was suspended by the BBC on Sunday night time as police had been advised of the allegations.
Boss Tim Davie was summoned to disaster talks after it emerged the company has been conscious of the claims for practically two months.
Police had been made conscious of the surprising claims hours after Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer ordered Mr Davie to get his home so as.
Ms Frazer stated: “I spoke about the deeply concerning allegations involving one of its presenters.
“[Mr Davie] assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively.
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BBC knew of complaint against star weeks ago (Image: Getty)
“Given the nature of the allegations, it is important the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action. I will be kept updated.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman stated: “The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter, but no formal referral or allegation has been made.
“We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.”
The alleged sufferer’s mom has stated the household complained on to the BBC in May, demanding the presenter cease sending their little one cash.
But it has since been claimed that even after the star was made conscious of the BBC’s data, he continued to funnel cash and remained on air – even attending an awards social gathering with BBC bosses.
The teen is alleged to have plunged right into a spiral of despair from a “happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict” in months.
It is alleged the mom as soon as heard the BBC star saying “I told you not to f****** ring me” and located an image of the presenter in his underwear on her little one’s cellphone.
She stated: “I immediately recognised him. He was leaning forward getting ready for my child to perform for him.
“My child told me, ‘I have shown things’ and this was a picture from some kind of video call.
“Whenever I see him on telly, I feel sick.”
If prison fees are introduced, the unnamed presenter may face a most 14-year jail time period.
Tim Davie (Image: Getty)
The newest scandal to engulf the BBC additionally raised recent questions over its skill to proceed to cost a licence payment.
Former residence secretary Priti Patel stated: “The BBC, which is funded by licence fee payers, has become a faceless and unaccountable organisation.”
The BBC was compelled right into a humiliating volte-face after a wall of silence surrounded the sickening allegations.
It issued a string of up to date statements, confirming a presenter had been taken off the air, launching a probe and, lastly, contacting the police.
In a press release, the company confirmed it had been “in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols”.
An ex-BBC worker, who’s now a presenter with a rival channel, advised the Daily Express: “This beggars belief. We’re really through the looking glass now.
“Rarely a day goes by without a scandal rocking the state broadcaster to its foundations – Jimmy Savile, Stuart Hall, Rolf Harris, the inquiry into allegations surrounding Tim Westwood – the list goes on and on.
“It’s less a firefight these days, it’s more a towering inferno.”
Ex-Tory social gathering chief, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, added: “I don’t quite know what they’re doing. It’s a mess. Clearly the BBC has tried to play this down from the beginning. It’s not worked because it’s exploded.
“They didn’t have any plan. Any inquiries that are taking place seem to be a mess. And that’s led to a whole series of reputational damage.
“The BBC should act like everybody else does and immediately suspend somebody pending the investigation. To try and do it quietly and behind the scenes never works because somebody has blown the gaff and they’re in trouble now.”
Lucy Frazer (Image: Getty)
Sunday night time’s dramatic occasions got here after Mr Davie was summoned to an emergency Sunday morning cellphone name with Ms Frazer.
Mr Davie subsequently stated the BBC was investigating “swiftly and sensitively” into “deeply concerning” claims.
Later, the director-general stated a male member of workers had been suspended, however didn’t reveal his id. It emerged that the broadcaster was first advised of claims referring to a “household name” on May 19.
It is alleged he paid for sexually specific photographs, which the teenager then used to fund a crack cocaine behavior. The teenager’s household stated they went public as a result of they weren’t happy with the response they initially obtained from the BBC.
The id of the presenter is unknown outdoors New Broadcasting House, however it’s stated the particular person is thought to thousands and thousands – sparking widespread hypothesis.
It is claimed the person began paying {the teenager} in 2020, when the alleged sufferer was 17, sending the cash in trade for graphic photos. The teen’s mom stated she had seen financial institution statements exhibiting funds totalling greater than £35,000, together with one lump sum of £5,000.
She accused the presenter of demanding “performances” and stated her little one used the money to fund a drug behavior that “destroyed” their life.
Priti Patel (Image: Getty)
Public help for the BBC, which fees £159 for a licence payment, has plummeted after a few of its greatest names had been unmasked as intercourse abusers. They included serial offender Jimmy Savile, It’s A Knockout host Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris.
Mr Davie faces a recent storm on Tuesday when he might be compelled to reply questions in public. He will reveal the broadcaster’s annual accounts, the place the salaries of its highest-paid stars are made public.
And he might be compelled to offer an account of his and the BBC’s delayed response to claims the star allegedly requested “performances” from {the teenager}.
The company stated on Sunday night time: “The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations. This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps.
“It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.
“We have been clear that if, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.” It added: “The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.
“New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
“We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.
“We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues.”
Esther McVey (Image: Getty)
Comment by Esther Mcvey – Conservative MP
When I began working in tv greater than 30 years in the past, I used to be immensely proud to work for the BBC.
It was the beacon of excessive requirements and integrity. If you needed to see the most effective sport, the most effective comedy, the most effective drama or the most effective news protection, you merely needed to watch the BBC.
Those glory days are lengthy gone.
It has fallen from being a supply of nationwide satisfaction to a nationwide embarrassment, and no one is sadder about that than me.
Having spent a few years residing off its former glories, the BBC is now decreased to lurching from one disaster to a different, whether or not that be round its dwindling status for political impartiality, or – more and more – the way it handles what has now turn out to be a listing of scandals.
Whether it’s Jimmy Savile, Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall or Tim Westwood, the BBC has been embroiled in quite a few high-profile scandals. And the way in which it has managed every one has left an enormous quantity to be desired.
Now, we have now yet one more.
An – as but – unnamed high-profile BBC presenter has allegedly paid out tens of hundreds of kilos to a teen (aged 17 when it started) for sexually specific pictures.
According to their mom, they
have used the cash to fund a
drug dependancy.
Despite the BBC first being made conscious of a criticism in May, it allowed the presenter to stay on air. Senior managers are alleged to have even attended events with him after the criticism.
It has solely belatedly suspended the particular person involved after newspapers ran the story on the finish of final week.
By anyone’s requirements, that’s fully unacceptable.
The sufferer deserves so significantly better, and so do licence-fee payers.
Can you think about the moralising outrage we’d have seen from the BBC if this had been a politician or a political social gathering which had acted so inadequately?
They can not count on the general public to maintain shrugging their shoulders each time the BBC fouls up – particularly over issues so critical.
Whenever the BBC tousled, it was all the time joked that their stance could be that “Deputy heads would have to roll”.
Isn’t it time for these on the high to fall on their swords – after which for us all to be put out of our distress by not being compelled by the prison legislation to pay for one thing we’re an increasing number of ashamed of as daily goes by.