BBC presenter scandal: Second person makes claims about unnamed star

A second person has come forward with a complaint about the BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos.

The person told BBC News they felt threatened by the unnamed star at the centre of the scandal that has dominated headlines.

The individual in their early 20s was first contacted anonymously by the male presenter on a dating app, according to the BBC.

They reportedly said they were put under pressure to meet up but never did.

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When the person hinted online they might name the presenter, they were sent abusive, expletive-filled messages, the BBC said.

The broadcaster reported it had seen “a number of threatening messages” and had verified they had been sent from a phone number belonging to the presenter.

The complainant told the BBC they had been scared by the power the presenter held and the threats in the messages had frightened them.

BBC News said it had contacted the unnamed star via his lawyer but had received no response to the allegations.

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The latest allegations add further pressure on the BBC after it suspended the presenter over allegations published by The Sun newspaper that he paid a teenager for explicit images.

The claims were made by the mother and stepfather of the young person, who is now aged 20.

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However following The Sun’s story, a lawyer representing the young person branded the claims “rubbish” and insisted “nothing inappropriate” happened with the presenter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the BBC admitted it did not put allegations about the first young person to the presenter until seven weeks after they were first raised.

Meanwhile a police force has said it was contacted by the parents of the teenager in April.

The force said “no criminality was identified” initially, however it has since met with the Metropolitan Police and the BBC.

A statement said: “As a result of recent developments, further inquiries are ongoing to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence.”

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged “anyone who has been a victim in the nature of these allegations” to “come forward to ensure that they are supported and their claims looked into”.

BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine tweeted: “I’m starting to think the BBC presenter involved in the scandal should now come forward publicly.

“These new allegations will result in yet more vitriol being thrown at perfectly innocent colleagues of his.

“And the BBC, which I’m sure he loves, is on its knees with this. But it is his decision and his alone.”

On Tuesday, the BBC released its own timeline of events in how allegations about the first young person were dealt with.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had asked the BBC to halt proceedings while officers assess whether a criminal act has been committed.