"Urgent talks" are set to take place today (July 9) between the government and the BBC over allegations relating to one of its presenters. It comes after the presenter was accused of paying a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit photos.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer will be speaking to BBC director-general Tim Davie today over the "deeply concerning" allegations about an unnamed presenter, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has said.
A Department of Culture, Media and Sport spokeswoman said ahead of the meeting: "These allegations are deeply concerning.
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"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."
It comes after the BBC was urged to act "very swiftly" to deal with the claims centring on an unnamed presenter alleged to have paid a teenager for sexually explicit images. Government minister Victoria Atkins described the claims reported by the Sun as "very, very serious" as questions over the broadcaster’s handling of the situation were raised.
The newspaper said the star paid the teen, said to have been 17 when the payments began, £35,000 in exchange for the images. In the latest claim, the young person’s mother said she saw a picture of the presenter on her child’s phone “sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear”.
The mother said she was told it was “a picture from some kind of video call” and looked like he was "getting ready for my child to perform for him". The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19 but became frustrated that the star remained on air. He is understood to have been temporarily taken off air.
