Tony Livesey, the BBC presenter, is stepping back from his late-night radio show on 5 Live following allegations tied to his past role as editor-in-chief of David Sullivan's Sport Newspapers. The decision comes after a Panorama investigation accused Sullivan, a billionaire, of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against women over decades. Sullivan has denied all allegations through his lawyers.
Allegations Against David Sullivan
The Panorama investigation aired serious accusations against Sullivan, with one alleged victim claiming that Livesey arranged a meeting between her and Sullivan. Livesey told the Times he had 'no recollection' of such an introduction and stated that it was not part of his job. He added that he had 'practically zero' contact with women appearing in the paper.
Livesey's Response and BBC's Action
Livesey has firmly denied the allegations, and the BBC confirmed he asked to step back from presenting his show for a short period while the corporation considers the matters raised. The BBC also highlighted a passage from Livesey's 1998 book, where he claimed to have co-devised the 'countdown to 16' feature, which counted down to models' 16th birthdays for legal topless photos. Livesey later said this was 'categorically' not his idea and that parts of the book were fictionalised to make him seem central to stories.
A BBC spokesperson stated: 'The Panorama investigation included allegations about Tony Livesey which we take seriously. We also note Tony has firmly denied the allegations. He has asked to step back from presenting his radio show for a short period and we will be considering the matters raised by the programme. We will not be commenting further at this stage.'
