The BBC confirmed in a statement that they had suspended a male member of their staff after allegations of sexual misconduct against an unnamed TV presenter went viral over the weekend.

The presenter, who has not been publicly named, has been accused of paying a teenager thousands for sexually explicit photographs.

A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: “The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols. We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended. We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues.”

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The statement added: “The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date. The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations. This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps. It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care. We have been clear that if – at any point – new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.”

British politician Lucy Frazer talked to BBC director-general Tim Davie regarding the issue on Sunday, after which she tweeted, “I have spoken to BBC Director General Tim Davie about the deeply concerning allegations involving one of its presenters. He has assured me the BBC are investigating swiftly and sensitively. Given the nature of the allegations it is important that the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action. I will be kept updated.”

Who is Tim Davie?

Tim Davie is the seventeenth Director-General of the BBC. He succeeded Lord Hall of Birkenhead on September 1, 2020.

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He was born on April 25, 1967, in Croydon, London. After finishing his education in English at Selwyn College, Cambridge, Davie joined Procter & Gamble as a trainee in 1991. He joined PepsiCo two years later and eventually became vice president of marketing and finance before leaving the company in 2005.

Davie joined the BBC as Director of Marketing, Communications, and Audiences in April 2005, succeeding Andy Duncan.

He unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the Conservative Party in 1993 and 1994 in the Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council elections. He was appointed acting Director-General of the BBC in 2012, following George Entwistle’s resignation in November 2012, until Lord Hall took over the role permanently in April 2013. He oversaw the investigations into BBC management and conduct after there were reports that the broadcaster had known about sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile.

Davie is married and has three sons.