Urgent talks have taken place today between the Culture Secretary and the BBC director-general after serious claims one of its biggest presenters paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit photos.
Speaking out this afternoon, Tory minister Lucy Frazer said she has been assured by BBC boss Tim Davie that the corporation is investigating the allegations “swiftly and sensitively”.
In a statement ahead of the meeting, a Department of Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said: "As a public service broadcaster in receipt of public funding, senior officials have stressed to the BBC that the allegations must be investigated urgently and sensitively, with the department kept informed. The culture secretary will be speaking to Tim Davie later today."
The "household name" BBC presenter is accused of first requesting images from the teenager in 2020 when they were 17-years-old and has allegedly made a series of payments over the years since then.
The mum of the teenager claims the money allegedly sent to her child was used to fund a crack cocaine addiction. The teen, who is remaining anonymous, allegedly went from a "happy-go-lucky" teen to a "ghost-like" addict in just a number of years.
The mum told The Sun newspaper she "felt sick" whenever she saw the presenter on TV - who remained in post until recently despite the complaints being made to the BBC seven weeks ago. The Mirror reported last night that the accused presenter even partied with BBC bosses at an awards ceremony after the allegations were made.
Following a phone call today, Ms Frazer tweeted: "I have spoken to BBC director-general Tim Davie about the deeply concerning allegations involving one of its presenters.
"He has assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively."
She added: "Given the nature of the allegations it is important that the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action. I will be kept updated."
Treasury Minister Victoria Atkins said this morning the BBC must "act very swiftly" as "public attention and concern grows" over the claims. Asked about the scandal on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the former criminal barrister added: "These are very, very serious allegations and the BBC have said that they have processes in place but I think as public attention and concern grows, the BBC is going to have to act very swiftly to deal with these allegations and to set out what they are doing to investigate them."
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves urged the corporation to "get a grip" as she said "we seem to lurch from one scandal to another" across the industry, adding: “The BBC need to get their house in order and give greater clarity to what on earth has gone on in this case and what they are trying to do to put it right."
The Labour frontbencher continued: "The idea that some presenters think that they act with impunity and they can get away with these sorts of things. It does call into question the ethics, the investigations, how long these things take, and the BBC but also other broadcasters do need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another and more needs to be done."
Ms Reeves said the fact the complaint had been made so long ago was "concerning". "That someone makes a complaint - a very serious complaint - and then puts on the telly the next night and they're still there, and that's not good enough. That is not treating people, victims, with respect, and that's why there needs to be a full investigation."
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