Everything we know about the BBC presenter accused of paying teenager for sexual pictures as he’s pulled off air
A BBC star has been pulled from the show after allegedly paying a teenager for sexual images.
The well-known presenter is accused of giving the teenager more than £35,000 in exchange for dirty pictures since he was 17.
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The mother of the alleged recipient said she used the money to fund a crack addiction.
Here’s everything you need to know about the star – who is now the focus of a BBC investigation.
Who is the BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexual images?
The BBC star has not been named but he is a familiar face known to millions of people.
The presenter was off the air last night while the BBC investigated the mother’s explosive claims.
She said: “When I see him on TV, I get sick. I blame that BBC man for ruining my child’s life.”
“I’m taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.”
The family complained to the BBC on May 19 about his behavior and begged them to get the man to “stop sending the money”.
They had discovered that their child had used the money to fund his increasing addiction to crack cocaine.
The furious mother recounted how her child went from “a cheerful teenager to a ghostly crack addict” in just three years.
They contacted The Sun and made it clear they didn’t want any payment.
The mother said, “All I want is for this man to stop paying my child for sexual imagery and for him to stop funding my child’s drug addiction.”
She shared how her child, now 20, showed her an online bank statement showing numerous deposits made by the star.
Holding back tears, she added: “It was huge sums, hundreds or thousands of pounds at a time.”
“Once he had sent £5,000 in one parcel. The money was in exchange for sexually explicit photos of my child.”
Who denied the claim that he was the BBC presenter?
Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Jeremy Vine have all denied being the BBC star.
Lineker – presenter of BBC’s Match of the Day – took to social media tonight to comment on the allegations.
He wrote, “I hate disappointing the haters but that’s not me.”
This comes after Rylan, 34, who co-hosts Beeb’s Eurovision coverage and films a travelogue for the company, took to Twitter to respond.
Sharing a meme of Oscar winner Will Smith, the former X Factor contestant wrote, “Not sure why my name is floating around but read the story in The Sun – it’s not me baby.”
“I’m filming a show in Italy for the BBC right now, so tell me my name.”
Vine, 58, who hosts a news program on Radio 2, tweeted: “I just want to say I’m really looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday.”
“Whoever the ‘BBC host’ on the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did before: it’s definitely not me.”
What is the BBC star accused of?
The unnamed BBC star is off the air as allegations he paid the teenager for sexual images are investigated.
The bad news is said to have started in 2020 when the youngster was 17 years old.
The family say the BBC presenter has never hidden his identity and has even sent pictures of himself at work.
She said she was told the star required “performances,” and heartbreakingly, her child said they were “putting it all together.”
A BBC spokesman said: “We take all allegations very seriously and have processes in place to deal with them proactively.”
“If we receive information that requires further investigation or review, we will take appropriate action.”
“This includes actively trying to speak to those who have contacted us to gain more detail and an understanding of the situation.”
He added: “Should at any time new information come to light or be made available – including through newspapers – appropriate action will be taken in line with internal processes.”