Current Affairs 2023

[Stephen]

Agree totally with what you have said Sir Merv…

Btw, does Stephen work for the BBC…haven’t seen him recently

Been too busy sorting out the good images from the bad……..of the cat

[Ray B]

Before posting it is essential that you do not hint or name a possible person. Doing so can bring serious repercussions under defamation, and you facing bankruptcy.

[CaroleF]

Glad you posted that Ray. It may well be that this is a true claim by the parents of the young person. It is possible that it's not true and if so it's bad enough condemning someone who is innocent let alone someone who is totally unconnected. There's a line between posting something because it may seem funny and something that, as you point out, can bring serious repercussions.

[Stephen]

Merv covered this in post #1823.

Common sense really unless you are really stupid.

[Mervyn and Trish]

My irritation at the moment is politicians jumping on the bandwagon to criticise the BBC response when, in reality, with the exception of the Minister who has met the DG, they know nothing more than we do.

As Carole says the allegations may or may not be true. Of course if true they are very serious, but remember Cliff Richard and Bill Roache.

What we do know is it is alleged this began 3 years ago and was not reported to the BBC until May. Then because they hadn't publicly acted within 2 months the complainants went to the press. Not apparently to the police. It seems the BBC did that.

Reading the very bold type between the lines in the BBC statement it seems in the intervening time there has been some difficulty in communication with the complainant.

As I said we know little detail and nor do others. In my mind something doesn't smell quite right but I'm unsure what it is so it is inappropriate to judge.

[oldbluefox]

There are certain aspects to this which don't seem to quite hang together but are being hyped up by the media.

The lad was 17 when this all started so not exactly a child.
He is supposedly a drug addict and was happy to accept huge sums of money over the past three years but is now traumatised.
No complaints were made by the accuser or his mother to the BBC until May of this year. Why wait that long?
Why were the allegations not put to the police in the first instance? What were the motives for taking the story to The Sun instead?

IF the allegations are true then any action necessary should be taken but there are many questions as yet unanswered. If untrue it is a shabby indictment on our media who seem to be presuming guilty unless proven innocent. Is he guilty of these allegations or is this the work of a fantasist (remember Carl Beech who invented the Westminster VIP paedo ring)?

We shall wait and see.

[Stephen]

A bit like when a person cries sexual assault years after the event. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not right, but why wait.

Money! buy any strange chance.

[Ray B]

It has certainly stirred up a hornets nest, plus giving expectation by the media of of a juicy story to fill pages.

[david63]

So the latest in this saga is that the young person at the centre of this is saying through his lawyer that nothing happened and his mother and the Sun are wrong.

If this version is true then they both should have some form of penalty - this is just the media glorifying something for their own ends. It is time the media realised that they are not the guardians of the law in this country.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I thought something didn't smell right but didn't see that coming.

[oldbluefox]

I find it shameful the way the media have behaved. Just as long as they sell papers, or get their viewing figures they don't care what damage they cause to their victims or their families.

Hopefully there will be retribution for those who have created this mayhem.

[Mervyn and Trish]

If it turns out, as the "victim" says, that nothing untoward or illegal happened, I hope that the politicians who've jumped on the bandwagon and attacked the BBC are as quick to eat humble pie and apologise for their part in stirring the sh*t.

[oldbluefox]

They'll all be backpeddaling as we speak.

[Stephen]

At the end of the day, do I really care, no.

[Ray B]

Maybe not Stephen, but it is intriguing on how the twists and turns are going to end up.
The Daily wail says one in six people interviewed know who he is, I'm one of the five who don't.

[Onelife]

This is an appalling situation for those who have had their names linked to this story…Stephen should come clean and put this story to bed.

[paultheagle]

Sounds like the Sun has struck again. What a despicable rag that is. It should have been closed along with the News of the World.

[david63]

The latest development is that some MPs are considering naming the presenter in Parliament under the guise of "parliamentary privilege". I have no idea who these MPs are or from which party but to my mind doing so would be despicable.

[Chalgrave4]

The latest development is that some MPs are considering naming the presenter in Parliament under the guise of "parliamentary privilege". I have no idea who these MPs are or from which party but to my mind doing so would be despicable.

If this is the case I would consider it an abuse of "parliamentary privilage" , if it isn't then the rules of pp need amending immediately

[Mervyn and Trish]

So after the BBC received the complaint they emailed the complainant asking for more details. And got no reply. So they rang. And no one answered. And the complainant moans about the BBC's response.

[oldbluefox]

There's a lot in this which simply doesn't add up.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It just got more complicated.

BBC News - BBC presenter sent abusive and menacing messages to second young person
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66165766

[david63]

It just got more complicated.

BBC News - BBC presenter sent abusive and menacing messages to second young person
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66165766

OK I am in stupid mode (again).

How does this second person know that it is the same presenter if the presenter has not been named?

[Mervyn and Trish]

That was indeed my question too, though the BBC appear to have confirmed it (inadvertently?)

I suppose on balance it would be better it there was just the one!

[Ray B]

The BBC has released the last year's figures of what they pay the top earners.
Again Gary Lineker is leading the top ten at a cool £1.35m, everyone else earning C£1000 a day. Eye watering, nice work if you can get it.
Just a thought of who would be more handy with a problem with your heart, Gary Lineker on £1.3m or a consultant heart surgeon on £115,000.