Tim Westwood, a former Radio 1 DJ, has been accused of sexual misconduct and the BBC is now launching a full inquiry into its own actions after it received complaints over Westwood’s behaviour but failed to act on them.
After it admitted receiving complaints about Westwood, the BBC has now launched an independent inquiry into the sexual misconduct allegations.
Led by Gemma White QC, the inquiry is expected to last six months. White has previously investigated bullying within the House of Commons. White will also investigate whether the complaints were part of the reason Westwood departed the BBC in 2013.
Westwood, now 64, presented radio shows on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra between 1994 and 2013. The alleged sexual misconduct incidents have been said to have taken place between 1990 and 2017.
Westwood is denying all allegations, even with recent reports that Westwood is accused of having sex with a 14-year-old.
BBC Board senior independent director Nicholas Serota, to whom the BBC’s internal review team reports to, has commented on the matter, saying new allegations are still coming out.
“In light of the BBC’s internal review, I believe that there may have been occasions in the past when the BBC should have further explored issues that were being raised. It now appears there are allegations against Tim Westwood dating to before, during and after his employment with the BBC and also elsewhere. The BBC is willing to work with any other employers in order to fully establish what happened,” Serota said.
The other employers Serota refers to include MTV and Global, which own Capital Xtra. Westwood presented shows on the station after leaving the BBC in 2013.
The Metropolitan Police is currently investigating the matter and released a statement on Thursday, saying: “Detectives from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime continue to investigate four reports relating to allegations of non-recent sexual offences allegedly committed by a man. The offences are alleged to have occurred in London in 1982, 1985, 2010 and 2016. There have been no arrests, inquiries continue.”
The BBC said it will further any relevant information to the Met.
