BBC defends refusal to name top presenter at centre of sex scandal

BBC chief Tim Davie on Tuesday insisted on allowing a high-profile presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit images to remain anonymous, despite mounting calls for his identity to be revealed.

The accusations fuelled a fifth straight day of fevered frontpage headlines in the British media, with the publicly funded BBC also leading its own news bulletins with the story.

There has been a frenzy of speculation about the presenter's identity on social media, with the Daily Mail even reporting that "one in six" Britons knew who it was, according to its own snap poll.

But Davie said "processes and protocols" were in place when allegations were made and they had a duty of care towards all involved.

"We always take these matters seriously and seek to manage them with care," he told reporters.

The corporation needed to handle them "with the upmost diligence", he added, refusing to comment on calls from some MPs to use parliamentary privilege to name the presenter in the House of Commons.

Parliamentary privilege allows legal immunity to lawmakers for statements made in the chamber.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in Vilnius for a NATO leaders summit, described the allegations as "serious and concerning" but said it was a matter for the BBC.