A number of high-profile BBC presenters have stepped forward to deny they are the person responsible for allegedly paying a vulnerable teenager for sexually explicit photos.
On Friday, British tabloid paper The Sun, said that a “top BBC star is off air while allegations he paid a teenager for sexual pictures are being investigated”.
It said that “the well-known presenter is accused of giving the teen more than £35,000 (A$67,161) since they were 17 in return for sordid images”.
The mother of the teenager said that her son had used the money to fund a crack cocaine habit.
She said her child had gone from “a happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict” in just three years.
She added: “All I want is for this man to stop paying my child for sexual pictures and stop him funding my child’s drug habit.”
“One time he had sent £5,000 (A$9594) in one lump. The money had been in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of my child.”
She went on: “When I see him on telly, I feel sick.
“I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life.
“Taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.”
The unnamed presenter has been taken off air while the BBC investigates the bombshell claims.
Since the claims hit, a number of high-profile presenters have come forward to deny that they are the person at the centre of the claims.
BBC 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell posted a screenshot showing he had reported a crime to the Metropolitan police after being wrongly accused as the man in question.
I think it’s important to take a stand. There’s just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends. pic.twitter.com/KNytEcAE7J
— Nicky Campbell (@NickyAACampbell) July 8, 2023
He also retweeted legal advice saying that anyone who wrongly names the man can be sued for defamation and will “lose everything you own”.
Meanwhile football pundit Gary Lineker Tweeted “I hate to disappoint the haters but its not me”.
Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 8, 2023
One Tweeter was keen to point out that the BBC was “quicker to suspend @GaryLineker when he made an accurate remark about the 1930s German era than they’ve been about this 2 month old complaint against whoever it is”.
In March the UK’s national broadcaster suspended Lineker from the BBC sports show Match Of The Day for a Tweet in which he compared the UK government’s language around asylum seekers policy to that of “Nazi Germany”.
Presenter Rylan used a Gif of Will Smith’s infamous Oscar moment to kindly ask people to take his name out of their mouths in reference to the story.
Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the sun- that ain’t me babe. I’m Currently filming a show in Italy for the bbc, so take my name out ya mouths pic.twitter.com/6lZo45U6Pe
— R Y L A N (@Rylan) July 8, 2023
Building on Rylan’s Tweet, BBC star Jeremy Vine also added that he is not the BBC presenter in question and is currently actively working.
Just to say I’m very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday — whoever the “BBC Presenter” in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain’t me.
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) July 8, 2023
The BBC said it is in touch with police about the claims.
