Nicky Campbell has detailed his “distressing weekend” after being falsely named as the BBC presenter who paid for explicit pictures.
The star, who is on screen on ITV’s Long Lost Family tonight (July 10), revealed he called the police over the weekend after accusations were levelled at him on Twitter.
It came amid claims that an unnamed male BBC presenter paid a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit pictures. The presenter in question has now been suspended by the BBC.
Nicky Campbell on ‘distressing weekend’ amid false BBC presenter allegations
Signing on to his BBC Radio 5 Live show today, Nicky told his listeners: “Obviously thoughts are with the alleged victim and family. So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say. But it was a distressing weekend, I can’t deny it, for me and others falsely named.”
Today I am having further conversations with the police.
After revealing he’d contacted the police over the weekend, Nicky added that he would be in touch with them again today. He also said he’d be speaking to his lawyers over the false accusations levelled at him.
Nicky said: “Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.”
The BBC has suspended a presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs
How does BBC News cover stories about the BBC? ⬇️
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 10, 2023
‘We’re big boys’
Later on in his show, a caller rang to express her “anger” that Nicky and others, including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker, had also been falsely named online.
Nicky responded: “I’m all good. Jeremy and also others involved as well, Rylan and also Gary, yeah it’s uncomfortable. But as I said earlier worse things happen at sea. We’re big boys.”
Nicky is on Long Lost Family tonight (July 10) on ITV1 at 9pm.
Read more: Why suspended BBC star can’t be named – and when we’ll find out his identity
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