The BBC is facing explosive new allegations after claims emerged that a presenter allegedly broke a female colleague’s wrist during a violent altercation — before bosses reportedly attempted to quietly “manage” the scandal behind closed doors instead of involving police.
According to reports, senior figures at the broadcaster were made aware of the alleged incident but failed to take formal disciplinary action against the high-profile staff member, who is said to have continued working at the corporation for years afterwards.
The alleged incident is believed to have happened around 2014, with the female employee reportedly requiring hospital treatment after suffering the injury.
A source told Mail on Sunday that the presenter allegedly grabbed the woman by the wrists, crossed them over, and threw her to the floor. The insider claimed a doctor’s report documenting the injury existed, but alleged that “nobody did anything about it,” adding: “It was a cover-up from the BBC.”
The male presenter and the female colleague have both since left the broadcaster for unrelated reasons.
The fresh allegations have reignited criticism over the BBC’s handling of scandals involving high-profile personalities, following controversies surrounding figures including Huw Edwards, Jimmy Savile and Scott Mills.
Conservative MP Greg Stafford blasted the corporation over the claims, saying: “We should barely be surprised given the BBC’s record of cover-ups.”
He continued: “For one person to break another’s wrists is assault and if such an allegation was then made, the BBC should have called in the police. However, it would appear that once again, BBC bosses chose to brush a most serious problem under the carpet rather than address it properly.”
The report also claimed BBC managers later held meetings with the presenter regarding alleged workplace behaviour concerns after make-up artists reportedly noticed possible signs of alcohol and drug use.
However, instead of dismissing him, bosses allegedly assigned the presenter to “undesirable” shifts in the hope he would eventually resign voluntarily.
One insider claimed the BBC became a form of “shield” for the employee, giving him “credibility” despite the allegations circulating internally.
Sources within the broadcaster reportedly believe the corporation has repeatedly prioritised protecting its public image over taking swift action against staff accused of misconduct — a strategy critics say has repeatedly backfired whenever scandals later become public.
The controversy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the BBC’s internal culture. BBC News director of programmes John McAndrew recently warned staff against sharing “unsubstantiated claims” externally after a number of confidential allegations reportedly leaked beyond the corporation.
In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individual employment matters, the BBC has robust processes in place to uphold our standards.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that the male employee at the centre of the allegations no longer works for the broadcaster.
The BBC has faced intense criticism in recent years over several high-profile controversies, including the fallout surrounding Huw Edwards after the former news anchor pleaded guilty to offences relating to indecent images of children in 2024.
The corporation was also criticised after it emerged that former Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills had previously been investigated by police over alleged sexual offences years earlier, though no charges were brought at the time.
