The allegations that a presenter from the BBC has been taken off air due to involvement in paying a teenager for explicit photographs are being treated with utmost seriousness by the BBC. According to a report by the Sun, a well-known presenter is accused of paying over £35,000 in exchange for explicit images. The identities of the accused presenter and the teenager involved were not disclosed in the newspaper’s report.
Following the publication of the report, several individuals denied being the unnamed presenter. Rylan, who is currently filming for the BBC in Italy, tweeted that he was not involved in the story circulating in the Sun. Jeremy Vine also stated on Twitter that he is eagerly looking forward to hosting his radio show and confirmed he was not the broadcaster mentioned in the news. Gary Lineker also took to Twitter to clarify that he is not the person involved in the allegations.
Nicky Campbell hinted at having reported the matter to the police after being mentioned in connection with the story. He shared a screenshot on Twitter, which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and a message thanking him for reporting the crime. In his tweet, Campbell emphasized the importance of taking a stand against such individuals and expressed gratitude for the support he received.
According to the Sun, the teenager’s family lodged a complaint with the BBC on May 19th, asserting that the payments were being used to fund a drug addiction. The alleged recipient’s mother, who spoke to the Sun and declined any payment, expressed her disgust when seeing the accused presenter on television, blaming him for her child’s life being ruined. She accused the BBC man of robbing her child of innocence and financing a crack cocaine habit that could potentially be lethal.
The mother stated that her child, who is now 20 years old, had transformed from a carefree youngster into a ghost-like crack addict over the course of three years. The child reportedly showed the mother an online bank statement with numerous deposits from the presenter, including a lump sum of £5,000 exchanged for sexually explicit photographs.
In a subsequent report in the Sun on Sunday, the mother claimed to have seen a still image from a video call on her child’s phone, in which the presenter was seen partially undressed on a sofa, seemingly anticipating her child’s performance for him.
Late on Friday, the BBC issued a statement emphasizing their serious approach to handling any allegations and their proactive processes for addressing them. They mentioned their efforts to contact those who had come forward, seeking further information and understanding of the situation.
However, if there is no response or additional contact, it can impede the progress of their inquiries. The BBC affirmed their commitment to taking appropriate action based on any new information that comes to light, including through media reports.
These allegations emerge in the wake of ITV’s chief executive refuting suggestions that the network’s management covered up Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger staff member to protect the commercial interests of the This Morning program.
- Taking the lead from the Guardian