Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, an early champion of hip-hop in the UK, is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct dating from 1992 to 2017.
In a joint investigation, the BBC and The Guardian have heard allegations from seven women, all of whom are black, who say that Westwood abused his position of power within the music industry and was guilty of “predatory and unwanted sexual behaviour and touching”.
Westwood strenuously denies all the allegations being made against him, with a spokesperson calling them “completely false”.
The women came forward after the DJ gave a statement to Mail Online in 2020 to deny “fabricated allegations” of inappropriate behaviour towards student fans that were being made against him on social media.
The BBC and The Guardian have both published harrowing accounts from the women making the allegations against Westwood, and a documentary - Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power - will be shown on BBC Three at 9pm tonight.
Westwood joined BBC Radio 1 in 1994, hosting the first national rap show in the UK. Prior to that he hosted the Rap Show on Capital.
After leaving the BBC in 2013 following a schedule shake-up, Westwood rejoined Capital Xtra, and currently broadcasts on Saturday evenings. The DJ also has his own YouTube channel, Tim Westwood TV, which has racked up more than 500 million views and has more than one million subscribers.
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