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Jeremy Vine has explained why he believes that the BBC star should come forward.
Last week allegations emerged that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager for explicit images.
The BBC has suspended a male member of staff after The Sun reported that he paid a young person around £35,000 over three years, from the age of 17, for explicit images.
Jeremy, 58, tweeted yesterday about the situation.
‘I’m starting to think the BBC Presenter involved in the scandal should now come forward publicly,’ he wrote.
‘These new allegations will result in yet more vitriol being thrown at perfectly innocent colleagues of his. And the BBC, which I’m sure he loves, is on its knees with this. But it is his decision and his alone.’
Jeremy Vine urges unnamed presenter to ‘come forward publicly” (Picture: PA / Getty / Rex)
Now, he has spoken about it on his Channel 5 show.
He said: ‘There’s a bit of a question mark over this story.’ Jeremy then ran through the story and all the current claims against the BBC star.
‘There could be four separate people involved. We’re not sure it was criminal, but it certainly looks like it was right for The Sun to run the story,’ explained Jeremy of his standpoint.
He then justified his tweet, Jeremy said: ‘I thought very carefully before I sent the Tweet. I know the individual. I am concerned about his state of mind. I haven’t spoken to them, but I have heard he wants to play it long. He is angry. He wants to remain anonymous.’
‘It’s his decision, but he needs to come forward,’ he shared. ‘I know his survival instinct has kicked in. He’s seen what happened to Phillip Schofield. Look at the damage to BBC, his friends, and the falsely accused. The longer he leaves it, the worse it will be.’
‘They may not be able to judge what is right or wrong anymore,’ he later added.
He said the BBC presenter should show concern for others, who’ve had to deny it ‘including me.’
Jeremy’s own wife was scared for him to attend a gig, and advised him to wear a baseball cap.
‘He must have a defense,’ Jeremy said of the unknown star.
‘The idea that he can remain anonymous, and can one day walk back into the office with his pass is not going to happen.’
He also said that the BBC could sack him, but hasn’t, and commended that decision.
Since the initial claims, three more people have come forward.
A person in their 20s alleged that they were contacted by him on a dating app, and pressured to meet up, but never did.
The person claims that when they suggested they’d name him on social media, they were sent expletive-filled, abusive messages, reports the BBC.
A now 22-year-old has shared alleged screenshots of their conversations with the BBC employee.
They show contact was made in October 2018, and their chat includes kisses and love heart emojis.
The person told The Sun: ‘Looking back now it does seem creepy because he was messaging me when I was still at school.’
The third person claimed that the star broke Covid-19 lockdown rules to meet them in February 2021.
The person alleged that they met on a dating website, and they were surprised that he wanted to meet up.
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