New BBC sex scandal after top female star showed 'd*** pic' to junior member of staff sparking crisis talks
Bosses hauled the top talent in for a series of crisis talks about the incident and made her apologise for the unsolicited 'd*** pic'.
It is believed the woman is ranked in the Corporation's top 50 earners this year.
She apparently asked a stunned junior employee about her preferences before brandishing the unwanted nude image, the identity of which is unknown.
The story is thought to have been kept secret for some time, remaining the subject of gossip within the BBC's offices.
A source told The Sun: 'As soon as the name of this woman - and details of her bad behaviour - are unleashed, it will derail entire departments and mark the first female to be formally swept up into the BBC's wrongdoing roll call.
'It was meant to be jokey, locker-room type banter, but the woman was completely horrified and cried about it.
'No one minds a bit of office banter, but this was on another level. She felt like it was an intentionally shocking move to intimidate, veiled as a joke. It was way too much.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.'
It's the latest saga to strike the BBC, after MasterChef star John Torode was sacked from the show for allegedly using the N-word on set and directing it towards a member of staff.
The Australian-born chef, 59, lost his job at MasterChef after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word, which he claims to have 'absolutely no recollection' of.
The BBC said last month that Torode's contract would not be renewed after a report found he had used an 'extremely offensive racist term' following a complaint from a member of staff.
It has been previously reported that the presenter, who also hosts a cookery show with his wife Lisa Faulkner on ITV, used the N-word while singing along to a Kanye West song during a wrap party in 2019.
But BBC News has since reported this was not the incident which led to the complaint upheld by the report.
This instead related to another incident a year earlier, when he allegedly used the same word on set after filming an episode of Masterchef and it was directed at a member of staff.
The news site added that the upheld allegation of racist language was one of nine complaints made against Torode in the report, which also related to allegations of abusive language towards junior production staff and sexual language, and which were not upheld.
These allegations were not upheld as they were unsubstantiated due to a lack of evidence or witnesses.
The complaint against Torode was revealed in the report into co-presenter Gregg Wallace's inappropriate behaviour. Wallace, 60, was sacked after more than 40 complaints against him were upheld.
The report also included one further complaint which was upheld relating to a third unnamed person, supposedly a MasterChef senior executive who was accused of swearing, according to BBC News.
The news site said it has contacted that executive but has not heard back.
Meanwhile, a Banijay spokesperson said the allegation is being handled 'appropriately internally'.
Torode has never defended his MasterChef colleague Wallace when allegations against him first emerged in December last year.
In a statement at the time the Australian chef said the claims were 'truly upsetting' and the 'thought of anyone who has appeared on our show not having a brilliant experience is awful to hear'.
Wallace was said to be 'furious' with his former co-star and unfollowed him and his wife Lisa on Instagram.
Last month, Wallace was banned from working at the BBC after executives ruled they did not 'have the confidence that you can change what seems to be learned behaviour'.
In a letter of dismissal from Claire Powell, head of compliance for BBC Television, the corporation made clear that Wallace would not work as a BBC presenter following an investigation into his behaviour on MasterChef.
When coming to the judgement the BBC said they took into account Wallace's autism diagnosis but concluded that he 'struggled to distinguish the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace' despite training in 2019.
The independent report by Lewis Silkins, which was commissioned by Masterchef producers Banijay in November after the initial allegations, has yet to be published but Wallace has insisted he has been cleared of the most serious allegations of groping.
But it is understood that he has been found guilty of making repeated inappropriate comments which he considered 'banter'.
Defending himself, Wallace recognised 'that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate' for which he apologised 'without reservation'.
Wallace has been blasted by disability charities for using his autism as an excuse for his alleged inappropriate behaviour.
He claimed that television executives had failed to 'investigate my disability' or 'protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment'.
Fifty people came forward this week with fresh allegations about Wallace, including inappropriate sexual comments, touching and groping, which he vehemently denies.
Elsehwere in the Corporation, the BBC 's head of music stepped back from her role after the broadcaster admitted that punk duo Bob Vylan were assessed as 'high risk' before their controversial performance at Glastonbury - and yet still allowed on air.
Lorna Clarke is among a small number of senior staff who have temporarily withdrawn from their day-to-day duties covering music and live events.
Clarke, who is on an annual salary of £215,000, was stood down so she could focus on the investigation into why the BBC failed to cut the feed during Bob Vylan's appearance, The Times Reports.
It comes after the corporation has faced a furious backlash following last Sunday's set that included the duo's frontman calling out 'Death to the IDF' and 'Free Palestine '.
The performance at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed but the organisation later expressed regret for not stopping its broadcast of the set.
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Gladiators star Steel reveals medical procedure contributed to newborn son death
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The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Inside Britain's acid attack capital where kids ride around on bikes armed with Lucozade bottles full of horror fluid
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Inside Britain's acid attack capital where kids ride around on bikes armed with Lucozade bottles full of brick cleaner The safety label on the bottle we bought said that it contains hydrochloric acid and could be corrosive to metal, warning users to wear protective gloves and eye protection. While there were no nearby warnings that buyers have to be over 18, the nationwide chain store does enforce an age limit. The DIY giant signed up to a voluntary agreement in 2018 not to sell acid-based products to children. Newcastle dad Paul Laskey, 43, was one of the 200 acid attack victims identified in Northumbria in 2023 and 2024, losing sight in his left eye. Paul went out to protect his 16-year-old son, who had been robbed of his gold chain at knifepoint near the family home in West Denton, Newcastle. When he encountered 21-year-old Robbie Scott and demanded the return of the chain, he was squirted with acid from a plastic bottle, causing agonising and catastrophic injuries. 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Afghan asylum seeker Ezedi, 35, attacked his 31-year-old ex-partner and her two children with the alkaline solution, causing the woman life-changing injuries. Ezedi himself was seriously injured in the incident and was found to have taken his own life by jumping into the Thames soon afterwards. The attack is still fresh in the memory of people in Byker 18 months on. Speaking yards from Ezedi's former home, Northumbria University student Izzy Brown, 19, has had first-hand knowledge of the devastation of an acid attack. She said: "A friend of mine suffered an acid attack from a former boyfriend after the break-up of a relationship about three years ago. "It caused terrible damage to her skin, hitting her shoulder and arm, and also caused some nerve damage. Thankfully, it didn't hit her in the face, or the outcome would have been even worse. "It's such a cowardly thing to do to another person. 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Minor burns, which affect the outer layer of skin and some of the underlying tissue, normally heal with good, ongoing burn care. But people with severe burns may be referred to a specialist burns unit for surgery and skin grafts. These kinds of injuries can take years to fully heal, and can leave people scarred for life. It can be easy to rush to conclusions when trying to help someone who is in agony. But don't act without thinking following an acid attack or it could make matters worse, experts warn. You may think that something like milk could act as a soothing remedy for an acid burn, but it's a bad idea. Milk is generally alkaline, but when it comes into contact with acid it causes an exothermic reaction, which creates more heat and can do more damage. Plus, milk can increase the risk of infection. Stick to running water - and lots of it. You should also protect yourself, as well as the victim, to avoid becoming a secondary victim. Wear gloves and protective clothing where possible. Dr Adrian Boyle, from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told The Sun: "It is vital to get across that people don't become secondary victims. "If you see someone exposed to acid, don't try to brush it off with your hands, or you'll end up burned yourself. "If the substance is in powder form just brush it off, using a piece of clothing to protect your skin." And it's not just acidic liquids that are used in corrosive substance attacks - very alkaline substances can be used too. Dr Boyle added: "Alkaline powders that get wet can suddenly start to react." His three-step plan is to, first and foremost, avoid becoming a secondary victim, call for help and dial 999. If water is available, use it to dilute the acid. Shoemaker George Beck, 61, said: "Anyone who throws acid at another person for any reason is a coward. "In my day, people used to fight with their fists if they had a disagreement; now kids will resort to anything because they want to be gangsters. "It was terrible that Azedi, a guy given a place to live in Newcastle, went and attacked that young woman in London. It was a horrendous crime. "For a man to attack a woman that way, especially in front of young children, was just unforgivable, and it's terrible to think he planned the whole thing just a few yards from here." Student George Crundwell, 19, said: "It is scary to think there are people walking around this city using acid as a weapon to rob people. "Attacking someone with acid is such an up-close and personal way of injuring someone. I've always thought of it as a crime committed by someone who knows their victim. "It's a terrible way of taking revenge on a person, to try to scar them with acid." Gail Spraggon, 64, said: "I'm surprised by the figures for Northumbria, it's a worrying thing to hear. "But to have acid used as a weapon to threaten people is just another thing to be concerned about when there are already all kinds of violent crimes." Melted eyeballs and mutilated faces… inside terrifying acid attack 'arms race' after surge in chilling assaults IT was an act of violent brutality that sickened the nation. Just days into the new year in 2024, Abdul Ezedi travelled down from Newcastle to target his ex-partner, aged 31, and her two children, aged eight and three, dousing them with chemicals before fleeing the scene. But worryingly, the monstrous incident in Clapham, South London - which left a total of 12 people injured - has proved far from an isolated case. Recent figures show attacks and other offences involving corrosive substances rose by a terrifying 75 per cent last year, with only eight per cent of attacks led to someone being charged. Now, after two pupils and a teacher were hospitalised this week following a chilling acid attack outside a school, fears are growing that the UK could see a return to the horrors of the previous crime wave that sparked terror across the nation. And as gangs snap up ever bigger 'zombie' knives to fend off rivals, experts have warned of an 'arms race' for grisly substances as thugs seek to gain the upper hand. Dr Simon Harding, a professor in criminology and sociology at St Mary's University Twickenham, describes the upswing in acid attack cases as 'very worrying.' 'It's always been part of the weaponry or the repertoire of people with criminal intent," he tells The Sun. "Those who feel aggrieved, those who want to seek revenge, those who want to take violent action against somebody else. "But it is a particularly despicable weapon to choose. "I'm certainly hoping we don't see a repeat of 2017-2018, which we could even call the summer of acid attacks. It was quite dreadful." Figures obtained through freedom of information requests to police forces show that 1,244 offences were recorded in 2023, compared with 710 from the year before, a rise of 75 per cent. It follows a 69 per cent rise recorded for the year before. Her dad, Alan Spraggon, 93, said: "Anyone who attacks another person with acid is a coward, especially if that person is a woman." Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) carried out an analysis which showed 498 physical attacks involving corrosive substances were recorded in 2024 - compared with 454 in the previous year. In 2023, Northumbria Police and the Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of physical attacks - 18% and 16% respectively. While figures in 2024 showed a large fall in attacks in London - dropping by 78% - cases in Northumbria rose substantially. Attacks in the force area accounted for 25% of those across the country, despite the area making up just 2% of the population. ASTI executive director Jaf Shah said: "In Northumbria, we've seen a 49% increase to 121 attacks, so there's a massive disparity in terms of numbers, especially relative to population figures for each of those corresponding areas. So this is obviously a very worrying trend. "Professor Francisco Figueiredo, who is head of ophthalmology at Newcastle University, certainly picked up on an increase in young men receiving treatment with corrosive injuries in the eye. "A lot of the injuries he's treated are related to the use of ammonia, which is quite different to some of the attacks we've seen in other parts of the UK where sulphuric acid is commonly used." Northumbria Police say that there were 96 recorded attacks where a corrosive substance was found to have been used in the force area in 2024, a fall of six per cent on the previous year. Another 25 incidents were recorded where it was suspected that a corrosive substance was used. Superintendent Scott Cowie, Northumbria Police's Serious Violence lead, said: 'We take each and every report of a corrosive substance attack seriously. 'We will always strive to do everything we can to identify the perpetrators of these offences and ultimately bring them to justice. 'In conjunction with our partners, we also carry out education and engagement activity across our Force area to educate young people about the dangers of becoming involved in serious violence. 'To anyone who is a victim of such an attack, please contact us so that we can take the appropriate action. 'To report an incident which has previously happened, you can send us a direct message on social media or use the live chat or report forms on our Force website. 'For those unable to make contact via those ways, call 101. 'Where an incident is happening, you should call 999.'
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Watch: Moment police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
Watch as police detain demonstrators during a protest against the terror ban of the group Palestine Action. (9 August) Footage shared by Labour MP for Hayes & Harlington John McDonnell captures officers carrying a demonstrator into a police van in Parliament Square. 'People are being arrested for peacefully protesting against the proscription of Palestine Action. It's a disgrace that people are being arrested for upholding our democratic rights,' McDonnell wrote. The government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group, which makes it an offence to hold up a sign or wear a t-shirt in support of the group , is currently being challenged in the High Court.
