Radio 5 Live presenter Tony Livesey has left the BBC after 16 years at the station, the corporation has announced.
Mr Livesey, 62, has stepped down from his late-night talk show after questions were raised about his previous career with his former newspaper boss David Sullivan. He had previously worked as editor-in-chief of Mr Sullivan’s Daily and Sunday Sport publications.
Mr Sullivan, 77, who is also the co-owner of West Ham, faces allegations that he abused his power and preyed on women for sex, in some cases when the women were teenagers. He has strongly denied the allegations, which were made in a joint investigation by the Times and BBC Panorama earlier this year.
The BBC previously said Mr Livesey had asked to take a break while the claims were being investigated.
One alleged victim claimed that Mr Livesey had arranged a meeting between her and Mr Sullivan in 1999 - a claim which the presenter said he had “no recollection” of doing.
Mr Livesey said he found the allegation “abhorrent” and while he had “great sympathy for a woman who may have become a victim", he rejected any suggestion he had played “any role whatsoever.”
Mr Livesey added it was “not part” of his job to arrange such meetings.
An email sent to Radio 5 Live staff on Monday morning from station controlled Heidi Dawson confirmed Mr Livesey had now decided to leave.
Parts of the letter read: “Tony has been at the heart of our coverage of every major news and sporting event for a decade and a half. He won prestigious Arias and APA awards for his reporting about how it feels to lose your mum as a child, and an Arias gold award after he was asked by Dame Deborah James to conduct her last ever interview.
“With his final Lates show at 5 Live, Tony grew audience figures once again.
"Tony has asked me to pass on his heartfelt thanks to the brilliant colleagues at 5 Live who he has had the pleasure of working with over the years.
"I know many of you have also really enjoyed working with Tony, and we wish him well for all his future endeavours."
Mr Livesey joined the BBC in 2006 after leaving Mr Sullivan’s newspaper. He began his stint on 5 Live in 2010, becoming the star of its drivetime show.
He has also been credited with being at the helm of the station’s Brexit coverage and spearheading its reporting from the Falkland Islands and RAF Akrotiri.
