'Homophobic witch-hunt': Is BBC presenter at centre of 'sex pics scandal' gay?

Commenting on the media trial of the BBC presenter who allegedly paid £35,000 to a teen in exchange for sexual pictures, human rights activist Peter Tatchell said it was yet another homophobic "witch-hunt".

His statement, though vague, somehow hints at the possibility of the BBC presenter being a member of the LGBTQ community.

The report published on July 7 in The Sun alleging a star presenter of the British media company BBC that the unnamed person exchanged money for pictures when the youngster was 17 years old. He was taken off the air.

The mother of the alleged victim revealed that the funds were purportedly utilised to sustain a cocaine addiction, which devastated her child’s life.

The BBC acknowledged the severity of the allegations and affirmed its commitment to treating them with the utmost seriousness.

As a result, the presenter has been suspended pending further investigation.

Responding to The Sun’s report, a BBC spokesperson said: "We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them."

The mother reportedly reached out to the BBC in May 2023, urging them to intervene.

Both the US media companies declined to name the presenter or identify the person who received the money.

As the story surfaced, countless claims have been made on social media alleging some of the BBC's high-profile hosts including Rylan Clark, who denied publicly.

Rights activist Tatchell is among people who have sensed a "homophobic" element to this "vicious" speculation.

Tatchell noted speculation on Twitter over the weekend had largely focused "on gay BBC presenters like Rylan Clark, without a shred of evidence."

"The insinuation is clear. It is the old bigoted trope that gay men are predators. This echoes past witch-hunts of LGBTs," he told PinkNews.

"It shows that despite our many gains in terms of legal rights and public opinion, we are still targets for a vociferous, menacing homophobic minority."

Tatchell previously spoke out against what he described as "anti-gay prejudice" surrounding the "trashing of Phillip Schofield", the ITV presenter who left the post after admitting to an affair with a young co-worker.

Amid speculation on 8 July, Rylan Clark denied being involved in any capacity, tweeting: "Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in The Sun — that ain’t me babe. I’m currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths."

Seeing the sensitivity, other BBC presenters were forced to clear their names.

BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine tweeted "it certainly ain't me" while responding to accusations.

He added: "Just to say I’m very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday — whoever the 'BBC presenter' in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain’t me."

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker tweeted: "Hate to disappoint the haters, but it’s not me."