“What led to that being on air?,” questioned Director General Tim Davie of Russell Brand’s previous BBC broadcasts in the present day, as he set out the scope of the overview into Brand, which ought to report again in “weeks not months.”
Addressing the allegations in an all-staff Q&A this afternoon, Davie mentioned Peter Johnston, Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, will oversee the report.
“We’ll look at any complaints made about Russell Brand’s conduct during his time, what was known at the time, what was done – so full transparency, we’re digging into anything that we’ve got there,” he added. “I’m hoping for an initial report in weeks, not months. So this is not something we want to take too long [over], but we do want to get to the facts.”
Brand introduced reveals on BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio 2 between 2006 and 2008 earlier than he was sacked after prank-calling Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs. At the time, Davie ran the company’s radio protection.
Over the weekend, Brand was accused by 4 girls of allegations starting from rape to sexual assault and the BBC, Channel 4 and Big Brother producer Banijay are all investigating, whereas reveals that includes Brand have been faraway from the BBC and Channel 4’s VoD gamers. Brand vehemently denies the claims and has mentioned all of his relationships had been consensual. He has not commented since publishing a video throughout his social media channels by which he preemptively denied the “litany” of allegations about his legal conduct.
One of the ladies who spoke to The Times and Channel 4 alleges a automobile organized by the BBC took her from faculty to the star’s home when she was 16 and Davie mentioned in the present day the overview will “look at the position regarding any cars used by the BBC at that time – because that was obviously something that, again, in a powerful testimony, was mentioned.”
“What led to that being on air?”
Davie mentioned he had listened again to broadcasts from Brand’s days engaged on BBC reveals and located them “completely unacceptable,” questioning: “What led to that being on air?”
“I just look at that stuff and I say there is no way I will listen to that, there’s no way I accept it,” he added. “We have to be clear about that together, that we will not accept that.”
He mentioned the BBC has up to date processes lately and urged employees to come back to him if they’ve points.
“These are very serious allegations,” he added. “And if you watch that [Channel 4] Dispatches programme, like many people will have done, you can’t help be moved by the incredible, powerful testimony.”
The Brand overview is certainly one of a quantity being carried out into the conduct of presenters who’ve labored for the BBC. An identical report into historic allegations in opposition to DJ Tim Westwood is because of publish quickly, together with two critiques about newsreader Huw Edwards, who allegedly paid a teen for indecent photographs.
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