Dan Walker to Face Employment Tribunal Over Serious Workplace Allegations
Presenter Dan Walker is set to appear at an employment tribunal later this month, facing accusations of sexism, misogyny against a black woman, and bullying in the workplace. The Mail on Sunday has revealed that the former BBC Breakfast host will confront his former Channel 5 News co-anchor Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije at a hearing in London scheduled for April 20, with proceedings expected to last up to four days.
Details of the Tribunal and Parties Involved
Walker, who joined Vanderpuije as co-presenter in April 2022 after departing the BBC, is named as a respondent to her claims. The case also involves ITN, the producer of Channel 5 News, and Channel 5 owner Paramount as additional respondents. The married father of three vehemently denies all allegations and has gathered substantial support in his defence.
Walker has secured more than 50 character witness statements from a diverse group of supporters, including famous footballers, Olympians, BBC journalists, presenters, and other colleagues. A source close to the situation stated, "Dan absolutely denies any sexism, misogyny, racism, or bullying. It has been hanging over him for some years now. He will be at London Central tribunal later this month. Nobody wants this, but he will be there to tell the judge the truth."
Background of the Dispute and Settlement Attempts
Ms Vanderpuije's claims emerged after she left Channel 5 in 2023, following five years presenting their news programme—the final twelve months of which were alongside Walker, who is 49. She has enlisted Phillip Schofield's former lawyer, Jonathan Coad, to represent her and initially sought to settle the matter out of court.
Sources indicate that Vanderpuije demanded up to £13 million in compensation from ITN and Paramount, an offer that was refused. Last week, her legal team made another settlement attempt, this time for £4 million, but it was again rejected, paving the way for the tribunal to proceed.
In a recent social media move, Ms Vanderpuije asked her Instagram followers to message her if they wanted "to know more about the allegations," adding a public dimension to the ongoing legal battle.
Previous Investigations and Statements
In April 2024, Walker—a devout Christian—was "completely exonerated" following the conclusion of a workplace probe into "serious misconduct." Sources familiar with that inquiry reported a lack of evidence to support the claims and noted that Walker, a former Strictly Come Dancing star, fully cooperated throughout the process.
It is understood that this investigation related to the 47-year-old Ms Vanderpuije's complaints against him, but none were upheld. Reflecting on this, Walker told The Daily Telegraph in 2024, "That was fully investigated, and I was entirely vindicated by an independent inquiry."
Both Walker and Ms Vanderpuije have declined to comment further on the upcoming tribunal. ITN issued a statement saying, "This claim, which is denied in full, will be addressed through the tribunal process."
The source supporting Walker added, "There will be tonnes of witness statements which will talk to Dan's character. He has been absolutely stunned with the amount of people willing to support him. He has been stunned and actually very upset to be accused of such things." As the tribunal date approaches, the case highlights ongoing issues of workplace conduct and legal accountability in the media industry.
