BBC presenter Stephen Nolan 'deeply sorry' over sharing explicit photograph
BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has said he is "deeply sorry" after a newspaper published a report that he had shared a sexually explicit photograph.
A number of claims were made about Mr Nolan in The Irish News on Tuesday, including that he had sent the image of a public figure to other members of staff in 2016.
Mr Nolan said he shared the image, which was widely available on the internet and was talking to a 'friend and peer outside work'.
It was reported that Mr Nolan shared the explicit image when he had wanted to book the former reality TV star Stephen Bear as a guest on his TV programme.
Bear, a former Celebrity Big Brother winner, was jailed for 21 months earlier this year after being convicted of revenge porn and voyeurism.
Speaking on his morning radio show on Good Morning Ulster on Friday, Mr Nolan said: "We have had days, as you probably know, of headlines about me and the Nolan team in the papers this week.
"I am not ignoring the story. It is just that the BBC has processes in place to deal with staff complaints and I do and need to totally respect those processes. They have got to be confidential for them to work.
"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."
Addressing claims production staff had been placed in audiences to "manipulate" programmes, he added: "I am telling you now - and I can say this on the record, that is completely and category false.
"We do not do that in the Nolan team, we value our relationship with you far too much to compromise it."
On Thursday he had said he had instructed his legal team over the audience plant claim.
Mr Nolan is among the BBC's highest earners and is paid between £400,000–£404,999.
As well as the five-day-a-week Radio Ulster programme, he also presents a Radio 5 Live show at the weekends and fronts a number of television shows for BBC Northern Ireland.
The Irish News also said that a former member of staff had made a claim of bullying and harassment against Nolan which was not upheld, and that messages between team members on programmes associated with the star presenter included abusive remarks about politicians.
In a statement earlier this week, BBC Northern Ireland’s director Adam Smyth said: “There are important considerations of fairness and confidentiality involved in the handling of any workplace-related complaint.
“We take these obligations seriously – and in the interests of everyone involved.
“It is for these reasons that we cannot comment on the specifics of any individual case, who/what it may have involved or its outcome."
The Irish News has been asked for comment.
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