Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije has withdrawn all allegations against her former co-host Dan Walker after reaching a 'mutual agreement' with Channel 5 and ITN. The TV presenter had filed claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment on grounds of race and sex, and breach of contract.
Vanderpuije, who co-hosted a show with Walker from 2022 to 2023, alleged a toxic culture of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying in the Channel 5 newsroom. Her lawyer had stated that her case centred on claims of being a whistleblower who made protected disclosures about the editorial content reflecting racist culture.
On Friday, a statement from Vanderpuije's lawyers confirmed: 'Claudia-Liza fully withdraws her allegations relating to Dan Walker and does not intend to repeat or pursue them.' The employment tribunal, scheduled to begin Monday, dismissed all claims after the agreement was reached.
Walker, 49, had been set to present over 50 character witness statements from sports stars, BBC journalists and colleagues. In a statement on Instagram, he said he hoped Vanderpuije 'finds peace' and expressed gratitude for the support he received.
Channel 5 and ITN both rejected the claims and welcomed the resolution. ITN stated: 'We continue to deny these claims in full, and we are glad this matter has been resolved.'
