A top BBC presenter reportedly showed a young staff member a picture of a penis, leaving the person ‘horrified’ and ‘in tears’
The BBC has reportedly been hit with another scandal with a top female presenter alleged to have shown a ‘penis picture’ to a junior member of staff – leaving them in tears.
The star is alleged to have revealed an image of a man’s penis on her phone during a casual conversation where she asked the producer if she “liked d*** pics”.
Insiders claim the star, who is listed among the BBC’s 50 highest-paid employees, asked the young staff member an inappropriate question before showing the picture. The young producer was said to have been “horrified and in tears” over the encounter. It is unknown whose private parts were in the picture.
Bosses were alerted about the encounter, and the presenter was brought into a private meeting where she was told to apologise for her actions.
READ MORE: MasterChef fans threaten to boycott over Gregg Wallace and John Torode inclusionREAD MORE: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace ‘ruins’ chance of redemption after ‘slipping at first hurdle’
The crisis has been described as a “ticking time bomb” by staff at the BBC, fearing there could be a widespread fallout if the presenter’s identity became public.
A source claimed to The Sun: “This incident goes beyond ordinary workplace banter. The staff member felt intimidated and upset, believing the act was meant to shock under the guise of a joke.
“There’s a sense that if this had involved a male presenter, the repercussions would have been immediate and severe. The fact that it’s a woman at the centre of this makes the situation even more striking.”
The insider claimed the conversation was meant ‘to be jokey, locker-room type banter’ but it resulted in the young producer crying about it.
A BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.”
The BBC have been hit with a number of scandals in the last year, with the axing of a number of Strictly Come Dancing stars over their behaviour as well Gregg Wallace and John Torode being fired from MasterChef in recent weeks. The BBC also came under fire for their coverage of Glastonbury Festival.
This year Welsh presenter Wynne Evans was axed from his radio job at the BBC over allegations about his conduct. The One Show host Jermaine Jenas was also sacked by the corporation for sending inappropriate messages to two female colleagues.
Meanwhile, Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to having indecent images of children and was spared jail when he admitted three charges of ‘making’ indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by a convicted paedophile over WhatsApp.
The former BBC presenter was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for seven years.
The Mirror have reached out to the BBC for comment.
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.