BBC employees have gotten ‘annoyed’ over the intercourse footage scandal with insiders claiming Tim Davie ‘nonetheless hasn’t answered all the pieces’ – as a fourth younger particular person got here ahead with recent allegations.
The unnamed presenter, who has been engulfed in scandal following claims he paid a young person £35,000 for sexually specific images, is accused of defying the third nationwide lockdown for an encounter with a special particular person in 2021 whereas the BBC was on the identical time telling thousands and thousands of individuals to comply with the principles as a part of its protection of the pandemic.
The scandal continued to develop final night time as a fourth particular person got here ahead to say he had despatched them ‘creepy’ messages utilizing love hearts and kisses on Instagram once they have been 17 years outdated – although it isn’t recognized if the presenter knew their age on the time.
One senior BBC insider described the temper inside New Broadcasting Home as more and more ‘fraught’.
He instructed the Times: ‘Everybody feels a bit blindsided. Individuals are deeply annoyed that the BBC has turn into the story. Tim’s feedback at present helped to clear up a number of the questions however he nonetheless hasn’t answered all the pieces.’
The unnamed BBC presenter allegedly met a stranger from a courting web site in February 2021. Pictured: BBC New Broadcasting Home in London
It is claimed the BBC star broke lockdown guidelines to participate within the assembly at a 23-year-old’s flat. Pictured: An indication urging folks to ‘keep at house, shield the NHS, save lives’ in London
Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine has known as on the presenter to establish himself to cease different BBC stars from being defamed.
He mentioned: ‘He ought to now come ahead publicly. These new allegations will end in but extra vitriol being thrown at completely harmless colleagues of his. And the BBC, which I am positive he loves, is on its knees with this.’
Yesterday, on the heels of the unique allegations that the unnamed star had paid {the teenager} for specific photographs, a second particular person mentioned that they had been despatched abusive messages after assembly on a courting app and a 3rd particular person mentioned that they had met the presenter.
The third particular person mentioned they met up after months of interactions, and that the presenter despatched them £650 in money and requested them for an image, The Sun stories.
The third stranger claims the presenter travelled into a special county to fulfill them at their flat in February 2021 when guidelines included a keep at house order and mixing solely between family bubbles.
The particular person claimed on the assembly, which got here months after they began speaking on the courting web site in November 2020, ‘he got here spherical for an hour…. We simply chatted. He was obsessive about me making him a cup of tea.’
In an interview with the newspaper, the particular person claims they met on account that did not have an image of the presenter however they ‘put two and two collectively’ when the BBC star instructed him his identify and what he did for a residing.
They mentioned that the host was keen to fulfill face-to-face, and was asking to do that even when the restrictions ‘stored getting stricter’ because the pandemic continued.
Nonetheless, once they turned down probabilities to fulfill the BBC presenter, he allegedly despatched ‘a barrage of messages’ saying he ‘felt undesirable’.
The 23-year-old claims that once they did meet he ‘got here spherical for an hour’.
Tim Davie, director common of the BBC, revealed at present he has not spoken with the presenter on the centre of the scandal. Pictured: Mr Davie at a service celebrating the seventy fifth anniversary of the NHS at Westminster Abbey
They instructed The Solar: ‘I used to be fairly shocked that he broke the principles to come back and meet me due to who he’s. I used to be only a random particular person on-line.
‘We simply chatted. He was obsessive about me making him a cup of tea.’
The newspaper claims to have a sworn assertion from the courting web site consumer claiming they acquired a fee of £200 – despatched on the day of the go to – and one other two of £200 and £250 by PayPal from the presenter.
They mentioned: ‘He gave me money thrice. Though he began to make me really feel like he owned me as a result of he was giving me cash. He was at all times speaking about his profession and was very boastful.’
They added that they started to really feel ‘used’ and ‘uncomfortable’ by the TV star’s behaviour and demanding messages.
They mentioned they wished folks to ‘know the reality’ in regards to the presenter, including: ‘It’s full hypocrisy of the BBC star. He thought he was above all people else.
‘The BBC factors the finger at others who do flawed however their large star was glad to behave like the principles do not apply to him.’
The Solar mentioned it had contacted the BBC and the presenter in query over the claims.
And final night time the paper claimed it had been contacted by a fourth one who alleged the BBC star had contacted them out of the blue on their Instagram account and used kisses and love hearts in messages to them once they have been 17 years outdated.
The person, who’s now 22, instructed The Sun the person despatched them a love coronary heart emoji in October 2018 with out ever having spoken to him earlier than.
This was adopted by sporadic messages between the pair, with the particular person even advising them to participate in a BBC college scheme when given the chance.
They instructed The Solar: ‘Wanting again now it does appear creepy as a result of he was messaging me once I was nonetheless at college.
‘In gentle of all the pieces now, I really feel shocked as a result of as a broadcaster it’s a identify everybody would belief.
‘I had no cause to suppose it was something past that at the moment.’
They added: ‘Figuring out what I do know now, I really feel I used to be a bit naive.’
Of their later conversations, together with when college was talked about, the presenter stopped utilizing love hearts and emojis, with the teen including: ‘In gentle of what I do know now, it feels as if when he realised I used to be not flirtatious again, he modified in the best way he would reply.’
It comes after allegations the presenter had despatched abusive and menacing messages to a special particular person of their 20s after assembly them on a courting app.
They declare they have been put below stress to fulfill with the star however by no means did, the BBC reported.
After they hinted on-line that they may identify them, they allege they have been despatched abusive messages that have been full of expletives.
The brand new claims increase additional questions in regards to the star’s conduct lower than every week after The Solar newspaper reported allegations that he paid a young person £35,000 for sexually specific footage, beginning once they have been 17.
The particular person concerned has mentioned there was no wrongdoing and the claims are ‘garbage’.
BBC Director Normal Tim Davie today denied it is ‘odd’ that he’s but to talk to the star.
In response to the BBC, the dialog between the particular person of their 20s and the presenter moved onto different platforms after starting on a courting app.
The presenter then revealed his id and requested the younger particular person to not inform anybody.
The younger particular person later posted on-line alluding to having had contact with a BBC presenter and hinting they may identify him.
The presenter then despatched various ‘threatening messages’ which the BBC says it has seen and confirmed got here from a cellphone quantity belonging to the presenter.
The BBC mentioned the younger particular person felt ‘threatened’ by the messages and ‘stays scared’.
BBC Information mentioned it had contacted the presenter by way of his lawyer however had acquired no response to the allegations.
Earlier at present, Mr Davie additionally advised the privateness of the star was a consideration in why the company didn’t communicate to the family identify till nearly two months after they first acquired a criticism from {the teenager}’s household.
He defended the seven-week delay between the preliminary criticism and confronting the presenter, insisting that the claims needed to be verified first earlier than being put to employees.
However he admitted it was ‘honest’ to query why the ‘very severe’ criticism was solely adopted up by a single name and e mail to {the teenager}’s mother and father.
Requested if it was ‘odd’ that he himself has not chatted to the presenter, Davie replied: ‘No’, including: ‘I feel it’s crucial they’re spoken to by a really senior supervisor’.
He was additionally requested if he knew ‘categorically’ whether or not or not the star paid for the alleged sufferer’s lawyer.
He mentioned: ‘That is not info I’m social gathering to. I do not even suppose that is one thing for the BBC.’
However he did admit that the scandal had been ‘clearly damaging’ to the company’s status.
‘The BBC is commonly within the midst of fairly painful and troublesome affairs and storms,’ he mentioned earlier than including: ‘These are clearly damaging to the BBC it, is just not an excellent scenario.’
In a serious replace on the case, Mr Davie additionally mentioned he had ‘paused’ their inside investigation whereas the police think about if any crimes have been dedicated after a gathering with Scotland Yard yesterday.
