BBC urged to investigate bullying claims against Top Gear host Chris Evans “as a matter of urgency” by MP
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has written to BBC Trust chairman Rona Fairhead
THE bullying allegations made against Chris Evans should be investigated by the BBC as a “matter of urgency”, an MP has said.
Evans has been accused of flashing a colleague and leaving a Radio 2 producer in tears.
Former Top Gear executive producer Lisa Clark quit the show after allegedly leaving a paper trail of allegations against the host which she sent to senior managers.
Now Tory backbencher Andrew Bridgen has written to BBC Trust chairman Rona Fairhead requesting that she formally examine the circumstances surrounding her sudden departure in December last year.
Heatstreet reports he has also asked the Beeb to look into the incident last month in which Evans allegedly left his colleague in tears.
In a letter to the BBC’s governing body Bridgen said Fairhead must also explore whether “BBC managers have properly investigated these matters themselves.”
He claimed their response so far has appeared “lacklustre” after the corporation was accused of burying bullying claims allegedly received about Evans’ behaviour six months ago.
Bridgen writes: "I would like the Trust to investigate Chris Evans because it seems to me to be very important that as part of that inquiry, an independent view is taken by the Trust as to whether BBC managers have properly examined these matters themselves.”
It alleged senior managers were made aware of claims against Evans following at least one incident when Lisa Clark believed the presenter behaved unreasonably towards her.
Bridgen added: “I am given to understand that Lisa Clark created a “paper trail” of evidence about Mr Evans’s unreasonable conduct before she left the BBC, some of which she shared with BBC managers. Can you please find out what these managers established about the circumstances leading to the abrupt departure of Ms Clark from the BBC?
“Were the allegations regarding the (so far unnamed) Radio 2 staff member whom Chris Evans apparently so upset properly scrutinised by the BBC’s managers?
“Has Chris Evans been properly questioned about these matters? How do the allegations against Mr Evans square with [BBC chief] Tony Hall’s zero-tolerance approach to bullying?”
It was also claimed yesterday that the producer called into replace Ms Clark, Clare Pizey, has a “protective” clause written into her contract.
The clause is said to guarantee that at least one other person attends all Top Gear meetings between her and Evans.
The new series is set to begin later this month but the number of Top Gear episodes the BBC is intending to broadcast has dropped from eight to six.
Evans has been working on a new series with co-host Matt LeBlanc which is scheduled to air on BBC2 and BBC America on May 29.
A one-time business partner and radio sidekick of Evans called him “out of control” following the bullying allegations.
John Revell, who has known him for 30 years, said: “He can be absolutely vile. I’ve seen him turn on people and reduce them to tears.”
An agent for Evans has been contacted for comment.
A spokesman for the BBC said: "We will consider the letter from Andrew Bridgen MP once received."
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