The lawyer representing the young person at the centre of the BBC presenter scandal has described the allegations as “rubbish”. In a letter to the BBC, the lawyer stated that a denial was sent to The Sun on Friday before the initial article was published, but the tabloid has stood by its claims.
The Sun reported that an unnamed high-profile male BBC presenter paid more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images from a teenager, starting in 2020 when the youth was 17. The young person’s mother allegedly told the paper the presenter “got into their head” and that the money funded a crack cocaine habit.
The BBC has suspended the presenter, whose name has not been released, sparking speculation on social media. Several BBC presenters, including Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark, and Jeremy Vine, have denied involvement. Nicky Campbell has launched legal action after being wrongly named.
The BBC confirmed it has been in touch with the police, but the Metropolitan Police said no formal investigation has been launched. BBC bosses met with the Met on Monday to discuss the situation, and the force is “assessing information”.
The BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, is set to face questions about the row during the corporation’s annual report press conference on Tuesday.
