Tim Westwood steps down from Capital Xtra radio show after allegations of sexual misconduct

Tim Westwood has stepped down from his weekly Capital Xtra show until further notice following a series of allegations of sexual misconduct, the radio station's parent company Global has announced.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The veteran hip hop DJ and former BBC Radio 1 presenter, 65, has been accused of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by several women when they were in their late teens or 20s.

Westwood, who left BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2013 after nearly 20 years to return to Capital Radio, has denied all claims and “strongly rejects all allegations of wrongdoing”.

Westwood hosts a regular show on Saturday nights on Capital Xtra, where he is referred to as “The Big Dawg”.

Tim Westwood has stepped down from his weekly Capital Xtra show until further notice following a series of allegations of sexual misconductTim Westwood has stepped down from his weekly Capital Xtra show until further notice following a series of allegations of sexual misconduct
Tim Westwood has stepped down from his weekly Capital Xtra show until further notice following a series of allegations of sexual misconduct
Read More
Empty shelves in Penwortham's Tesco Superstore as Ukraine shortages hit

A statement from Global on Wednesday said: “Following the claims that have recently come to light, Tim Westwood has stepped down from his show until further notice.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His exit follows allegations from seven women of predatory sexual behaviour and touching by the British hip-hop DJ.

On Tuesday, a joint investigation by the BBC and The Guardian featured the accounts of seven women relating to alleged incidents between 1992 and 2017.

The women accused Westwood of predatory sexual behaviour and touching, claiming he abused his position in the music industry to exploit them.

Two said he had initiated unwanted and unexpected sex, one claimed she was subjected to unwanted oral sex, and four accused the DJ of touching their bottoms or breasts.

"Following the claims that have recently come to light, Tim Westwood has stepped down from his show until further notice," a statement from Global said on Wednesday.

Westwood strenuously denies the claims.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Westwood, 64, presented a Saturday night slot on hip-hop station Capital Xtra for nine years. He previously hosted shows on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra from 1994 to 2013.

Two of his forthcoming DJ sets in Birmingham and Bognor Regis have also been cancelled in light of the allegations.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.