Stephen Nolan: BBC presenter apologises after reports claim he shared sexually explicit image with staff

Stephen Nolan has apologised after the BBC presenter allegedly shared a sexually explicit photograph with staff in 2016. The Northern Irish broadcaster addressed the claims made on Tuesday, which include sending an explicit image of reality TV star Stephen Bear to co-workers, the Irish News reports.

The alleged incident took place while Nolan’s team at Nolan Live attempted to book Bear for the programme. In 2018, BBC reportedly carried out an investigation after a member of staff about filed a complaint about the images.

Nolan addressed the claims at the start of his radio show on Friday morning, he 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, but it is just 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. 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.”

Bear, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, was jailed for 21 monthsearlier this year after being convicted of revenge porn and voyeurism. His former partner Georgia Harrison received over £200k in damages after Bear shared a private sexual video without her consent.

Bear appeared on Nolan Live in 2016, where both he and Nolan stripped down to their underpants and posed in front of a live audience. It is alleged that during the show, junior members of his staff were planted in the audience to lookout for “someone feisty”.

Nolan has denied these claims, stating that they’re “completely and categorically false”. He added: “There have been other headlines too including a suggestion that we manipulate programmes by planting producers in the studio audience.

“I am telling you now and I am saying this on the record, that is completely and categorically false. We do not do that in the Nolan team, we value our relationship with you far too much to compromise it.”