BBC presenter accused of paying teen for sexually explicit photos ‘tried to stop investigation after story broke’
The BBC presenter who is alleged to have paid a 17-year-old tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images reportedly made two “panicked” calls to the young person after the story broke last week.
In new allegations published in The Sun, the male presenter – who has not been named but is said to be a “household name” – called the young person to ask “what have you done?”.
He then allegedly asked the young person to speak to his mother and urge her to stop the investigation, the paper added.
The mother of the now-20-year-old also claimed she was “upset” by the wording of a BBC statement, and that no one from the broadcaster initially got in touch with her when she raised a complaint in May.
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The presenter, who was suspended by the BBC on Sunday, reportedly paid £35,000 for the photographs – the money of which, the mother has claimed, has been spent on a drug habit.
He allegedly first requested images from the youngster in 2020 when they were aged 17 and has made a series of payments over the years, according to The Sun.
The youngster’s mother told The Sun she saw a picture of the presenter on her child’s phone “sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear”.
The mother said she was told it was “a picture from some kind of video call” and looked like he was “getting ready for my child to perform for him”.
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In a statement, the broadcaster said it “takes any allegations seriously” and has “robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations”.
The BBC said that while it first became aware of a complaint in May, “new allegations” of a “different nature” were put to it on Thursday, adding it had been “in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols”.
A Met Police spokesperson confirmed it had been contacted by the BBC but said “no formal referral or allegation has been made”.
BBC taking allegations ‘incredibly seriously’
In an email to staff on Sunday, director-general Tim Davie said the BBC was taking the allegations “incredibly seriously”.
He added: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.
“I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.
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“We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts.”
The corporation said it expected to be able to provide a further update in the “coming days”.
On Sunday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the BBC was acting “swiftly and sensitively”.
She had spoken to Mr Davie on the phone and tweeted: “Given the nature of the allegations it is important that the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action.”
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Joy star James Norton on the ‘postcode lottery’ of IVF – and playing the scientist who was part of creating the first ‘test-tube baby’
Actor James Norton, who stars in a new film telling the story of the world’s first “test-tube baby”, has criticised how “prohibitively expensive” IVF can be in the UK.
In Joy, the star portrays the real-life scientist Bob Edwards, who – along with obstetrician Patrick Steptoe and embryologist Jean Purdy – spent a decade tirelessly working on medical ways to help infertility.
The film charts the 10 years leading up to the birth of Louise Joy Brown, who was dubbed the world’s first test-tube baby, in 1978.
In the UK, statistics show the proportion of IVF cycles paid for by the NHS has dropped from 40% to 27% in the last decade
Norton, who is best known for playing Tommy Lee Royce in the BAFTA-winning series Happy Valley, told Sky News he has friends who were IVF babies and other friends who have had their own children thanks to the fertility treatment.
“But I didn’t know about these three scientists and their sacrifice, tenacity and skill,” he said. The star hopes the film will be “a catalyst for conversation” about the treatment and its availability.
“We know for a fact that Jean, Bob and Patrick would not have liked the fact that IVF is now so means based,” he said. “It’s prohibitively expensive for some… and there is a postcode lottery which means that some people are precluded from that opportunity.”
Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie and James Norton star in Joy. All pics: Netflix/ Kerry Brown
Now, IVF is considered a wonder of modern medicine. More than 12 million people owe their existence today to the treatment Edwards, Steptoe and Purdy worked so hard to devise.
But Joy shows how public backlash in the years leading up to Louise’s birth saw the team vilified – accused of playing God and creating “Frankenstein babies”.
Bill Nighy and Thomasin McKenzie star alongside Norton, with the script written by acclaimed screenwriter Jack Thorne and his wife Rachel Mason.
The couple went through seven rounds of IVF themselves to conceive their son.
Norton portrays scientist Bob Edwards, while McKenzie plays embryologist Jean Purdy
While the film is set in the 1970s, the reality is that societal pressures haven’t changed all that much for many going through IVF today – with the costs now both emotional and financial.
“IVF is still seen as a luxury product, as something that some people get access to and others don’t,” said Thorne, speaking about their experiences in the UK.
“Louise was a working-class girl with working-class parents. Working class IVF babies are very, very rare now.”
In the run-up to the US election, Donald Trump saw IVF as a campaigning point – promising his government, or insurance companies, would pay for the treatment for all women should he be elected. He called himself the “father of IVF” at a campaign event – a remark described as “quite bizarre” by Kamala Harris.
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“I don’t think Trump is a blueprint for this,” Norton said. “I don’t know how that fits alongside his questions around pro-choice.”
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In the UK, statistics from fertility regulator HEFA show the proportion of IVF cycles paid for by the NHS has dropped from 40% to 27% in the last decade.
“It’s so expensive,” Norton said. “Those who want a child should have that choice… and some people’s lack of access to this incredibly important science actually means that people don’t have the choice.”
Joy is in UK cinemas from 15 November, and on Netflix from 22 November
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