The BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has apologised following allegations that he sent unsolicited sexually explicit photographs to colleagues.
Nolan used his Radio Ulster show on Friday to respond to reports that he had shared explicit images of the Celebrity Big Brother winner Stephen Bear.
“We have had days, as you probably know, of headlines about me and the Nolan team in the papers this week,” he told listeners. “I am not ignoring the story. It is just that the BBC has processes in place to deal with staff complaints and I do need to totally respect those processes.”
Those processes needed to be confidential, he said. “I can say one thing, though, and it is that I am sorry. There was a photograph, it was widely available on the internet and I was talking to a long-term friend and peer outside of work. I am deeply sorry.”
Nolan, 49, presents shows on Radio Ulster, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Northern Ireland. He is the corporation’s fifth-best-paid on-air presenter and considered the most influential and controversial broadcaster in Northern Ireland.
The Irish News on Tuesday reported several allegations about Nolan and his show, including that in 2016 Nolan shared sexual images of Bear, whom he wanted booked for his TV show. “I want Bear!” Nolan allegedly wrote in one message, saying in another: “If I don’t get Bear tomorrow night, I’m sending more Bear photos.”
Politicians urged the BBC to provide a full response to the claims. BBC Northern Ireland’s director, Adam Smyth, said considerations of fairness and confidentiality prevented the organisation commenting on any individual case.
The Irish News reported claims that Nolan was the subject of a bullying complaint that was not upheld, and that staff members were planted in the studio audience of his TV show Nolan Live to identify “feisty” individuals. Nolan’s team allegedly used the codename “ra ra” for on-air arguments.
The presenter denied that any producers were planted in the audience. “I’m telling you now and I can say this on the record. That is completely, categorically false. We do not do that in the Nolan team. We value our relationship with you far too much to compromise it.”
Nolan earned between £400,000 and £404,999 directly from the licence fee in 2022-23. The figures omit his earnings for other TV programmes made for the BBC by his production company, Third Street Studios.
