The BBC has admitted that it did receive complaints about Tim Westwood.
The DJ joined the broadcaster in 1994, and remained with BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra until 2013. A joint investigation between the BBC News team and the Guardian resulted in a number of woman coming forwards, making complaints about predatory behaviour and sexual misconduct across a three decade period of time.
During the course of this investigation, the journalists involved approached Director General Tim Davie, who said in April that “no evidence of complaints” had been found.
Now a Freedom Of Information request has pushed the BBC to acknowledge six historic complaints about Tim Westwood, with one being referred to police. In relation to this, a BBC spokesman said in a statement:
“This is a historic case that the BBC has found in its files. We are establishing the facts around it. It did not relate to conduct at the BBC, BBC premises, or conduct towards a BBC staff member, nor was it an accusation of physical assault.”
The BBC did not specify whether the five complaints had been received before or after Mr Davie’s statement back in April.
News of the BBC’s inaccuracy has – unsurprisingly – caused uproar on social media.
So there you have it! Complaints had in fact been made against Tim Westwood that the BBC were aware of!
— Kelechi (@kelechnekoff) July 4, 2022
That would mean that Tim Davie expressed an inaccuracy when he said no complaints had been made.
Tim Davie and the BBC denied receiving any complaints about Tim Westwood – but refused a Freedom of Information request that would prove this.
When ordered to release any information following an FoI appeal it turns out… the BBC had received complaints! https://t.co/AHLZ3tOSWomdash; Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) July 4, 2022
The BBC has offered no further comment; Tim Westwood has denied the allegations throughout this process, but he has “stepped down” from his Capital Xtra show.
Find the Guardian’s initial investigation HERE.
