DJ Tim Westwood has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
The hip-hop DJ, 64, is accused of unwanted sexual behaviour and touching on dates between 1992 and 2017.
He has vehemently denied the allegations, first reported in the Guardian and the BBC. “Any suggestion that he acts, or has acted, in the way described would be false and seriously defamatory,” a spokesperson told the media outlets.
The Standard has attempted to reach Mr Westwood’s representatives for further comment.
The seven women, who are all black, claim to have met Mr Westwood through his work. Their stories will be aired in a BBC Three documentary ‘Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power’, which airs on BBC Three at 9pm.
Their names have been altered to protect their identities. None of the women who spoke to the BBC and the Guardian know each other.
One of the accusers, using the name Isabel, alleges that the DJ drove them to a flat and initiated unwanted sex when she was 19 and he was 53. She claimed that he had exposed his genitals to her in a car, leaving her feeling “completely powerless”.
Another alleged that Mr Westwood had subjected her to unwanted oral sex when she was 17 and a member of a British R&B group.
The woman, calling herself Tamara, said that Mr Westwood could “make or break your career”.
“If you wanted to get any kind of exposure, you would try to get your demo to him and pray that he would play it. He had absolute power,” she said.
Four others allege that they were groped by Mr Westwood at events, the Guardian reported.
A statement from the BBC to the PA news agency said: “The BBC is against all forms of inappropriate behaviour and we are shocked to hear of these allegations. The BBC has strict codes of conduct for all those engaged by the BBC, including on-air presenters.”
The DJ, who is the son of Bill Westwood, the former Anglican Bishop of Peterborough who died in 1999, began his career with local radio before joining Capital Radio in London and was later given his own show by BBC Radio 1.
He was injured in a drive-by shooting in Kennington, South London, on July 18 1999, which left him in hospital.
He left the BBC in 2013 to work at Capital Xtra, where he presents a show on Saturday nights.
His representatives said in a statement: “Tim Westwood strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
“In a career that has spanned 40 years, there have never been any complaints made against him officially or unofficially.
“Tim Westwood strongly rejects all allegations of wrongdoing.”
