Nicky Campbell has spoken about his distressing weekend after he was falsely named as the BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexually graphic images.
The broadcaster, 62, was among the well-known faces forced to clear their name after allegations that a BBC presenter paid £35,000 for explicit photos.
Presenting his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Nicky Campbell said, that obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and the family. So, a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, he couldn’t deny that, for him, and others falsely named.
He said that he was having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.
It comes after he suggested he’d contacted the police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.
He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police insignia and the words, ‘Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime’.
He wrote that he thought it was important to take a stand. That there were just too many of these people on social media, and that he thanked support from friends.
On his BBC radio show, a caller rang to say she was so enraged and cross that Mr Campbell and others had to come forward to clear their names.
Nicky Campbell responded that he was all good, Jeremy Vine and also others involved as well, Rylan Clark and also Gary Lineker, and that it was uncomfortable but as he said earlier worse things happen at sea and that they were big boys.
The BBC was to meet the Metropolitan Police on Monday as the corporation dealt with the allegations, after confirming a male staff member had been suspended.
BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay is the latest star to distance himself from the scandal, tweeting last night that he was enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so there was no need to set his alarm clock.
It came after Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark publicly said they were not the presenter in question, with Gary Lineker tweeting that he hated to disappoint the haters but it wasn’t him.
Rylan Clark also wrote that he wasn’t sure why his name was floating about but re that story in the newspapers, that it wasn’t him babe, and that he was currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so people should take his name of their mouths.
If these people know they’re not guilty then they have nothing to be distressed about. However, it is outrageous that so many completely blameless BBC presenters are being shockingly slandered with such impunity by fools on social media.
Poor Nicky Campbell. However, more ominous things occur every day to people worldwide though, but at the moment, speculation is rampant about the identity of the latest BBC presenter – just say who the person is and be done with it, rather than dragging other presenters through the mire.
It’s important to take a stand because there are just too many of these people on social media, and it gives people on social media a potentially lunatic platform.
If people name others in the industry and get it wrong then they should be sued for defamation. We have no idea who this person is that allegedly did the crime and until the BBC releases that information we should all keep a lid on things because this is how people’s names get slurred and once out in the open it can never go back in the closet again. It’s out there and they say that what’s today’s new is tomorrow’s history, wrong!
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 