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The BBC has said it did not put allegations made by the family of a young person to a presenter accused of paying them thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos until seven weeks after they were first raised.

The BBC has since suspended the unnamed male presenter.

A timeline released by the corporation says that the family first attempted to raise a complaint in-person at a BBC building on 18 May, followed that up by contacting the BBC Audience Service the following day.

The BBC say that on 19 May they referred the matter to their Corporate Investigations Team, who decided that while the matter “did not include an allegation of criminality” that it “nonetheless merited further investigation”.

They say it was then they first attempted to contact the complainant, via email, but they received no response. No further contact was attempted until 6 June, when the BBC attempted to call the complainant on the phone, but say “this call did not connect”.

Again, no further attempt was made to contact the complainant, until The Sun newspaper contacted the BBC on 6 July, and it was on this day that the Director General, Tim Davie, and the presenter in question were first made aware of the allegations.

The BBC say they then contacted the complainant on 7 July, and on the same day contacted the police. The corporation says it has since paused its investigation at the request of officers.

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The unnamed male presenter has been accused of paying the youth more than £35,000 for explicit pictures.

Live updates: BBC presenter row latest

According to The Sun, which broke the story last week, the presenter first requested images in 2020 when the youth was 17 and made a series of payments over the years.

The youth is now understood to be 20.

They reportedly used the money to fund an addiction to crack cocaine that “destroyed” their life.

It was also alleged the presenter stripped to his underwear during a video call.

However, on Monday, the BBC reported a statement from the young person’s lawyer, saying their mother’s claims were “rubbish” and “totally wrong”.

The letter said nothing unlawful or inappropriate took place.

The Sun responded: “We’ve seen evidence to support the concerns of two parents. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate.”

The family said they made a complaint to the BBC on 19 May but approached The Sun after becoming frustrated the star was still on air a month later.

This is confirmed by the BBC’s own timeline, which says “On 18 May, the complainant (a family member) attended a BBC building, where they sought to make a complaint about the behaviour of a BBC presenter”.

Then it says: “On 19 May, the complainant contacted BBC Audience Services; the details of this contact were referred to the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team.”

The timeline adds: “On 19 May, the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team emailed the complainant stating how seriously the BBC takes the issue and seeking additional information to verify the claims being made; there was no response to this contact.

“On 19 May, checks were also made to verify the identity of the complainant. This is a standard procedure to confirm that the complainant is the person they say they are.

“On 6 June, having received no response to the email referenced above, a phone call was made to the mobile number provided by the complainant by the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team; this call did not connect.

“Following these attempts to make contact with the complainant, the Corporate Investigations Team were due to return to the matter in the coming weeks. No additional attempts to contact the complainant were made after 6 June, however the case remained open throughout.”

Read more:
Sunak: Allegations ‘shocking’ but confident ‘rigorous’ investigation under way

While The Sun has not revealed the presenter’s name, it said he’s paid a six-figure salary and is currently off-air.

It has led to many well-known BBC presenters – including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Nicky Campbell – all making clear on social media they have nothing to do with the case.

The Sun said that after the allegations were published the presenter phoned the young person and asked them “what have you done?”

In a statement on Sunday, the BBC confirmed it first received a complaint about the presenter in May.

It said it was taking the allegations “very seriously” and had suspended the presenter after receiving new allegations of a different nature in addition to their own enquiries.

The BBC met the Metropolitan Police on Monday after contacting the force last week. There is currently no criminal investigation under way.

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Assisted dying bill backed by MPs after emotional Commons debate

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November 29, 2024

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Assisted dying bill backed by MPs after emotional Commons debate

Assisted dying could become legal in England and Wales after the bill was backed by MPs in a historic vote.

Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill received 330 yes votes compared to 275 noes at its second reading in the House of Commons – a majority of 55.

Politics Live: MPs voting on historic assisted dying legislation

The bill would allow adults who are terminally ill with just six months left to live to request medical assistance to end their lives.

Today’s result means the legislation will now progress to the committee stage for scrutiny, with the Lords also to be given opportunities to express their views on the measure before it potentially becomes law.

MPs were given a free vote – meaning they could side with their conscience and not along party lines, with the government staying neutral on the matter.

The division list showed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the proposal, as did Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

But other cabinet members like Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood voted against the bill, having previously warned about vulnerable people being coerced and of a “slippery slope of death on demand”.

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MPs debate assisted dying

The vote came after a five-hour debate in the chamber, which drew emotional arguments on both sides.

Conservative former minister Andrew Mitchell revealed he changed his mind on assisted dying after finding himself with “tears pouring down my face” on hearing the stories of constituents whose loved ones had died “in great pain and great indignity”.

On the other side of the argument, veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said assisted dying could result in sick people “feeling like a burden” on society, adding: ” I can imagine myself saying that in particular circumstances.”

She warned: “If this bill passes, we will have the NHS as a fully-funded 100% suicide service but palliative care will only be funded at 30% at best.”

Bill about ‘choice and dignity’

Opening the debate on the topic, Labour backbencher Ms Leadbeater said the bill was about giving dying people “choice, autonomy, and dignity” – saying the current law was “failing” them.

Pic: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Screen grab of Labour MP Kim Leadbetter opening the debate in favour of her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, in the chamber of the House of Commons in Westminster, London. Picture date: Friday November 29, 2024. MIME type: image/jpeg Width: 1920 Height: 1080 Copyright holder: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire
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Kim Leadbeater: PA

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Five stories that bring the assisted dying debate home

She has insisted her bill contains “the most robust safeguards” of any assisted dying legislation in the word.

This includes two independent doctors having to approve the decision, followed by a high-court judge, with the person having to administer the drugs themselves.

The legislation also includes a maximum 14-year prison sentence for anyone who coerces someone into requesting assisted dying or taking the medicine.

Speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby after the vote, an emotional Ms Leadbeater said she was “incredibly proud” of the result and parliament must now “take on board everything that’s been discussed in the chamber”, including the state of palliative care and the rights of disabled people.

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Heidi Alexander named new transport secretary after Louise Haigh’s resignation over mobile phone guilty plea

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November 29, 2024

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Heidi Alexander named new transport secretary after Louise Haigh's resignation over mobile phone guilty plea

Heidi Alexander has been appointed the new transport secretary after Louise Haigh stepped down.

The Swindon South MP had been serving as a justice minister until her promotion today, and worked as Sadiq Khan’s deputy transport mayor between 2018-2021.

Ms Haigh resigned after Sky News revealed she pleaded guilty to an offence related to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

In a letter to the prime minister, she described the incident as a “mistake” but said that “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government”.

Ms Haigh claims she was “mugged on a night out” and believed her phone had been stolen, but discovered “some time later” this was not the case.

She called the incident a “genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain”.

The Tories have said it raises questions about what exactly Sir Keir knew when he appointed her to his shadow cabinet in opposition.

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Responding to her resignation letter, the prime minister thanked Ms Haigh for “all you have done to deliver this government’s ambitious transport agenda” and said: “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future.”

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16-year-old girl charged with murder of man in King’s Cross

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November 29, 2024

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16-year-old girl charged with murder of man in King's Cross

A 16-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of a man in King’s Cross.

The teenager, from Brixton, south London, will appear at magistrates’ court later today charged with the murder of Anthony Marks, 51, in August this year.

Mr Marks was assaulted on Cromer Street on Saturday 10 August.

A 17-year-old boy has previously been charged and remanded in custody to face trial next year.

Police are keen to hear from any witnesses who may not have come forward yet, as well as Mr Marks’s next of kin, who still remain unidentified.

Read more from Sky News:
Assisted dying: What is in the legislation?
Woman on e-bike dies after being ‘rammed by 4×4’

Anyone with information should call the police at 101 or contact the incident room direct on 0208 358 0300.

They can also reach out on social media platform X.

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