The BBC is facing renewed scrutiny following claims that one of its highest-paid female presenters showed an unsolicited explicit image to a junior colleague.
The unnamed star is said to have shown the image of an unidentified nude man as part of what was described by insiders as “jokey, locker-room type banter”.
She later apologised to the younger staff member, who was reportedly left “completely horrified” and “in tears” after the incident.
“No one minds a bit of office banter, but this was on another level,” the insider told The Sun. “She felt like it was an intentionally shocking move to intimidate, veiled as a joke. It was way too much. The woman had to apologise to the girl.”
The incident has been described internally as a “ticking time bomb” for the BBC, with some insiders warning that if the woman’s identity is revealed, it could have a “seismic” impact across multiple departments.
The source added: “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.”
A BBC spokesperson told The Standard: “While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values. We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.”
This marks the latest in a string of damaging controversies for the public broadcaster.
Earlier this year, an independent review commissioned in the wake of the Huw Edwards scandal found that some BBC stars were considered “untouchable,” with senior staff shielding them from accountability.
The report concluded: “We heard examples of well-known names not being held to account for poor behaviour.
“A small number of people can become ‘untouchable’ in the eyes of colleagues. They are known for getting away with poor behaviour, and their reputation spreads beyond their immediate team.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the BBC had spent more than £1.3 million dealing with the fallout of the Edwards investigation, including over £340,000 on legal advice.
Separately, former Match of the Day host Jermaine Jenas spoke publicly this week about the fallout from his dismissal by the BBC following sexting allegations involving two female colleagues.
Speaking on the Reece Mennie podcast, the ex-footballer said they took away his life “in terms of every deal I had, the jobs that I had at that particular time”.
He has since launched his own production company.
Jenas also commented on the restrictions of working at the BBC, adding: “This is not their fault, but when you’re in this kind of media bubble where you work for the BBC, there are so many walls in terms of what they want you to do and what you’re not allowed to do.”
The latest allegations are likely to intensify pressure on the BBC, which is already under fire for its handling of workplace culture across multiple departments, including Strictly Come Dancing, MasterChef, and now BBC Breakfast.
