TONY LIVESEY LEAVES BBC RADIO 5 LIVE AFTER 16 YEARS

Tony Livesey has left BBC Radio 5 Live after 16 years at the station, the BBC has announced. Livesey stepped back from his weekday late night talk show in June following allegations made against David Sullivan, his former newspaper boss. Sullivan, a billionaire businessman and West Ham co-owner, has been accused by several women of abusing his power and preying on them for sex, in some cases when they were teenagers. Sullivan has strongly denied the allegations.

The claims against Sullivan were detailed in a joint investigation by the Times and BBC Panorama, which documented accounts from seven women alleging sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour during the 1980s and 1990s. Livesey had previously worked as editor-in-chief of Sullivan's Daily Sport and Sunday Sport publications. One alleged victim claimed Livesey had arranged a meeting between her and Sullivan in 1999, an allegation Livesey said he had "no recollection" of. Livesey rejected any suggestion he had played "any role whatsoever" and said he found the allegation "abhorrent".

BBC Radio 5 Live controller Heidi Dawson confirmed Livesey's departure in an email to staff, thanking him for his service and wishing him well for his future endeavours. Livesey had worked for the BBC from 2010 onwards, winning radio awards including an ARIA and APAs for his reporting on losing a parent as a child, and an ARIAS gold award after interviewing Dame Deborah James. His topical three-hour programme had been broadcast on 5 Live from Monday to Thursday, featuring interviews and listener phone calls.