BBC apologises to sacked ex-presenter over homophobic abuse

Warning: This report contains discriminatory, homophobic language that some may find offensive.

The BBC has apologized to a former radio presenter after an internal investigation found a failure to take action in response to homophobic abuse.

Jack Murley claimed he was called homophobic names, including “fairy boy”, by other staff and was told by a manager to sound “less gay” on air.

The 37-year-old was expelled from BBC Radio Cornwall in 2024 for breaching the organisation’s editorial and social media rules after posting online about proposed changes to BBC Local. An employment tribunal found this was “reasonable” and not a result of discrimination because of his sexuality.

In a subsequent letter to Murley, the BBC’s chief international operations officer, Jason Horton, apologized on behalf of the organization for the “behaviour and comments” he had been subjected to.

“We have worked hard to change the culture for the better across management and the wider team,” Horton said in his letter, adding that work was being done to implement the recommendations made.

Horton said the BBC accepted all the findings but did not believe there was justification for a financial payment to Murley.

Murley said he was “grateful” to former colleagues who provided witness statements.

“When I was producing an award-winning LGBTQ+ program for the BBC, I was subjected to the kind of homophobic and bigoted behavior from BBC staff that would have been unacceptable decades ago, let alone in a modern workplace,” he said.

He added: “I am pleased that the BBC has finally acknowledged that it has created and maintained an environment in which people in positions of power have been openly and tacitly tolerated by those expected to stop abuse.”

A BBC spokesman said the organization did not comment on individual cases but was addressing “reports that our workplace values ​​are not being overly protected”.

A leaked report by the company’s whistleblower team detailed that internal investigators reviewed 12 allegations of misconduct and inaction by management and found that eight of them had “a case to answer.”

The 38-page report includes witness statements from Murley, as well as his colleagues and bosses at the station.

Many of those who testified did so anonymously for fear of retaliation.

Two of the allegations involve a particular colleague who once saw his car blocked by Murley’s car in the office parking lot.

He allegedly said something to the effect of “Fairy child, you need to move your car.”

Murley reported that this staff member’s behavior was widely known, but he felt it was his obligation to “laugh about it.”

He provided witness statements regarding two incidents involving these personnel and the report revealed that there was a case to be answered.

Murley reported that another staff member told a joke in front of colleagues that included the homophobic slur “poof”. The report revealed that there was a case to answer.

In a separate incident with a different colleague, Murley reported talking in the staff kitchen about being able to donate blood after the law change; This was something he had never been able to do before as a gay man.

Murley claimed staff had entered the kitchen and said: “I can understand why you are banned from donating blood. Statistically, your people are much more likely to die of AIDS, that’s just a numerical fact.”

The report stated that two people witnessed this incident and that a lawsuit should be filed for this.

Jack Murley also said he was subjected to homophobic abuse from listeners through emails, texts and phone calls; this included an incident where he was given an envelope containing Bible verses and homophobic remarks.

After approaching a senior manager, Murley claimed he was shocked by the manager’s response, in which he said it was not his job to deal with harassment and that the only solution he could offer was for Murley to be “less gay” on air.

The report revealed that Murley provided direct evidence for this claim. Five witnesses presented indirect circumstantial evidence supporting Murley’s claim that he was not taken seriously.