The BBC admitted that it had failed to handle complaints of “bullying and misogynistic” behavior by its former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, and that it had let down its staff as well as the public. The corporation apologized after an independent review established several opportunities missed to take action against the wrongdoing of Westwood.

The probe was initiated by a 2022 joint investigation by The Guardian and BBC News that uncovered allegations of sexual abuse and predatory behavior against the DJ. The investigation concluded that, although there was no “widespread or significant” awareness at the BBC of his alleged sexual abuse, there were some cases where concerns ought to have been dealt with more properly.

A BBC announcement noted that allegations and complaints were too often dealt with in individual cases instead of being seen as a whole. “If these incidents had been connected, then perhaps a pattern of behavior might have emerged which could have resulted in firm action,” the corporation conceded.

“There is evidence of bullying and misogynistic conduct by Mr. Westwood, and the simple fact is that his overall behavior was completely incompatible with BBC values—not only now, but at the time,” the statement went on. “The organization failed and let people down, including our own staff, who were better than that.”

The company also issued an apology to the victims, guaranteeing that they had learned from their mistakes. “Your voice has been heard, and the findings of this review will fuel our determination to prevent such failures in the future.”

The disclosures are almost three years since the first Guardian and BBC News investigation in April 2022, when seven women made allegations of sexual misconduct and predatory behavior against Westwood, who is now 65. He denied all the allegations, with a representative describing them as “completely false.”

Within 24 hours of the accusations being published, as well as the BBC Three documentary Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power, he resigned from his position at Capital Xtra. The women’s testimonies resulted in a criminal inquiry by the Metropolitan Police, where Westwood was interviewed under caution.

Additional claims were made in July 2022, with 10 additional women accusing him of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and inappropriate behavior. One of them was a woman who said she had sex with Westwood in the early 1990s when she was 14, while he was in his 30s. Westwood did not comment at the time.

The charges are from 1992 to 2017, a time in which Westwood, having been appointed as host of BBC Radio 1’s first Rap Show in 1994, was one of the UK’s best-known hip-hop and rap musicians.

BBC Director General Tim Davie originally said that there was no proof of any complaints about Westwood. However, in July 2022, after a freedom of information request from the BBC News, it emerged that the corporation had received six complaints, one of which had been passed on to the police. A BBC spokesman later said that Davie had “set out the position as he understood it at the time.”

Later in the month, a BBC former staff member raised concerns to The Guardian with what they portrayed as “unacceptable bullying” by Westwood during his period at Radio 1. They also alleged being discouraged from complaining further. An ex-staffer further painted the picture of a “boys’ club” regime at the station, especially from the 1990s through the 2000s.

By August 2022, an in-house review by the BBC had recognized that the corporation had probably missed chances to investigate Westwood’s behavior. The review noted several reports made in 2012, such as two of indecent behavior and sexual harassment, and complaints that he had created a poisonous working environment at the BBC.

The BBC responded by hiring legal specialist Gemma White KC to conduct an independent investigation and creating a 24-hour hotline for prospective witnesses to report. The review, originally due within six months, was extended to December 2024.

Delays persisted when the Metropolitan Police asked for more time to conduct their investigation. A freedom of information request in June 2024 uncovered that the BBC had already spent over £3 million on the inquiry. By Tuesday, the corporation confirmed that the cost had increased to around £3.3 million.

In November 2024, detectives who had investigated allegations of non-recent sexual abuse involving Westwood reported their work to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). A CPS spokesperson acknowledged receipt of the case but wouldn’t comment further.

The Metropolitan Police afterward confirmed that Westwood had been interviewed under caution on four occasions about suspected offenses in London between 1982 and 2016. To date, the CPS has made no further announcements about developments in charges against him.