BBC to launch inquiry into Stuart Hall’s conduct at the corporation

The BBC will undertake a freestanding inquiry into the actions of former local news reader and game show host Stuart Hall concerning his conduct on corporation premises following his admittal of sexual offences which were announced last week.

Pervert at the beeb: Stuart Hall hosts Manchester based news show Look North.

In October last  year former Court of Appeal judge Dame Janet Smith was announced to be leading an independent review into Jimmy Savile and his alleged abuse at the BBC.

Dame Smith was noted to be reviewing the culture and practices of the broadcaster during the years Savile worked for the BBC as well as examining whether the BBC’s child protection and whistle-blowing policies are fit for purpose.

However due to a ‘conflict of interests’ the conflict remaining undisclosed by the corporation, Dame Janet will no be adding Stuart Hall to her investigation. Instead a separate one will be launched.

“In light of a potential conflict of interest with Dame Janet Smith there will be a freestanding investigation covering Stuart Hall’s conduct at the BBC which will feed into her review.

“This work will be led by a different individual appointed by the BBC.” – BBC Statement

83-year-old, Hall, one time anchor of BBC North West’s Look North became a popular personality while fronting game show It’s A Knockout in the 70s and 80s. He was also a long serving sports commentator for the broadcaster.

Last week  he was described as an “opportunistic predator” by prosecutors after he admitted  touching and kissing thirteen children from the 1960s to the 1980s. One aged under ten.

Reports suggest some victims were friends of the family, however a former BBC collegue suggested he also liked to take young women into the now-closed BBC Piccadilly Studios in central Manchester. 

Linda McDougall, once a producer at the BBC in Manchester, told The Mirror, “I can’t say he was having sex with them because I wasn’t ever in there at the same time. But I always thought that they weren’t coming for cups of tea in the afternoons.

“Everyone knew. We all made jokes about it. You would have had to have your eyes shut to not know what was going on.”

The women visited the studios ‘medical room’ which was the nickname for Hall’s dressing room. Hall faces sentencing on June the 17th.