Jeremy Vine has urged the unnamed presenter at the heart of the BBC scandal 'to come forward', saying 'the longer he leaves it the worse it will be for him'.
Various high-profile figures have spoken out and have called for the BBC star to go public as many BBC employees including Gary Lineker, Nicky Campbell, Rylan Clark and Vine have all had to publicly deny on social media that they are the person in question.
Over the weekend, it was reported that a BBC presenter paid a teenager around £35,000 for sexually explicit photographs and the mother of the teenager had made a complaint to the BBC after their child used money to fund a drug addiction, and she also blames the presenter for "destroying her child's life".
Speaking on his Channel 5 show, Vine - who hosts a BBC Radio 2 show, said: “It’s his decision but he needs to come forward now, I think.
“I know his survival instinct has kicked in and I know he saw what happened to Phillip Schofield, but my God look at the damage to the BBC, look at the damage to his friends, to those falsely accused – and the longer he leaves it the worse it will be for him.”
Vine said he thought “very carefully” before posting his tweet on Tuesday night urging the unnamed presenter to reveal himself, adding: “I know the individual concerned. I am very worried about his state of mind and what this is doing to him.
“I haven’t spoken to him but I gather from somebody who has that he is described as angry and keen to play it long. “Now to me that means that he wants to be anonymous for as long as possible hoping that he can one day walk back into the building.”
Yesterday, Piers Morgan also urged the presenter to come forward if he has 'nothing to hide' and that 'everyone knows who it is'.
He said: "The presenter concerned, we all know who it is.
"The public doesn't know who it is yet. Would it be prudent for this presenter to come out if he has nothing to hide?
"If what this young alleged victim has put in this legal letter is true and there is nothing legal or improper about whatever relationship they may or may not have had.
"Would it not be the smart thing to do for this presenter to come out and talk frankly about this?
"And maybe not even defend himself but say, 'This is what happened and I have nothing to hide'."
Despite the mother speaking out, the young person at the centre of the controversy later said via lawyers, in a letter to the BBC, that nothing inappropriate or unlawful happened with the unnamed presenter.
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here .
READ NEXT:
Inside Eamonn Holmes and wife Ruth Langsford's impressive mansion in Surrey
Coleen Nolan breaks down in tears discussing sister Linda's brain cancer diagnosis
BBC ditches popular quiz show with Alex Scott after just two series
Rylan Clark denies he is BBC presenter who allegedly paid teen for explicit pictures
