Tony Livesey will not return to his BBC Radio 5 Live show, with a staff letter seen by the Mirror confirming he is leaving the broadcaster after 16 years.
Heidi Dawson, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, said in the letter: "I wanted to let you know that Tony Livesey has decided to leave his presenting role on 5 Live."
Career at 5 Live
Dawson said Livesey was "the first voice for us on air as we launched from our new home in Salford" and built a loyal late night audience with the late Rachael Bland. He hosted the Drive show for 10 years, was "at the heart of our coverage of Brexit", reported from the Falkland Islands and RAF Akrotiri, and was part of the presenting team at the London and Paris Olympics. He also hosted Wimbledon coverage for six years.
According to Dawson, Livesey "grew Drive's audience, particularly through Covid alongside Anna Foster with positive stories of hope". He won ARIAS and APA awards for reporting about losing his mother as a child, and an ARIAS Gold award after Dame Deborah James asked him to conduct her last interview.
Panorama investigation
The decision comes nearly two months after the BBC broadcast Panorama programme Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss, which looked into Sullivan's behaviour towards women while he owned the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport. Seven women claimed Sullivan was sexually exploitative towards them, which he "categorically denies". He said he was quitting as West Ham director to fight what he called false allegations.
Livesey was editor-in-chief of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport before joining the BBC, and worked alongside Sullivan for a number of years. In the programme, a woman identified as 'Florence' said Livesey introduced her to Sullivan, who then arranged for her to visit his home.
Livesey told Panorama he had "no recollection" of putting a woman on the phone to speak to Sullivan and insisted it was not part of his role to introduce anyone. He said he had "great sympathy for a woman who may have become a victim", but rejected any suggestion that he played "any role whatsoever in that scenario", describing the allegation as "abhorrent".
Book and "countdown to 16"
Panorama cited a passage in Livesey's 1998 book claiming he and Sullivan devised the "countdown to 16" feature, which counted down to models' 16th birthdays. Livesey said the feature was "categorically" not his idea and that large parts of his book were "fictionalised" to make it appear he was "at the centre of all stories".
On June 9, the BBC said Livesey had "asked to step back from presenting his radio show for a short period" while management considered matters raised by the programme. The decision is now permanent. Livesey, 62, last presented on June 8 and has not been on air since. He started as a reporter at the Sport titles, later became editor-in-chief, and spent 18 years there before leaving in 2006 for broadcasting.
Sullivan's response
Sullivan, 77, resigned as joint-chair and director of West Ham United with immediate effect, saying: "After very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as joint-chair and director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect."
He said the decision was made "out of love, respect, and responsibility toward a football club and a fan base that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward". He added: "After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me."
Sullivan said: "I believe the entire process has been fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality. The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media." He also said he would be suing the BBC for libel, adding: "I will be suing the BBC for libel, along with any other media outlet that repeats any libellous allegations."
