BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has apologised after a newspaper claimed he shared sexually explicit photos of a potential guest with staff.
According to The Irish News, Mr Nolan sent images of reality TV star Stephen Bear to the production team of Nolan Live.
Reports stated that the BBC carried out an investigation in 2018 following a complaint by a member of staff against Mr Nolan concerning the images.
Other allegations in the report were that Mr Nolan bullied a member of staff, but that complaint was not upheld.
Addressing the allegations on his morning radio show on Radio Ulster on Friday, Mr Nolan said: "We have had days, as you probably know, of headlines about me and the Nolan team in the papers this week.
"I am not ignoring the story. It is just that the BBC has processes in place to deal with staff complaints and I do need to totally respect those processes.
"They have got to be confidential for them to work. I can say one thing though and it is that I am sorry.
"There was a photograph, it was widely available on the internet and I was talking to a long-term friend and peer outside of work. I am deeply sorry."
Mr Nolan is the fifth-highest paid talent with the BBC, earning between £400,000-£404,999.
In a statement earlier this week, BBC Northern Ireland’s director Adam Smyth said: "There are important considerations of fairness and confidentiality involved in the handling of any workplace-related complaint.
"We take these obligations seriously - and in the interests of everyone involved.
"It is for these reasons that we cannot comment on the specifics of any individual case, who/what it may have involved or its outcome."
