I had 'a target on my back' says sacked BBC presenter

A former radio presenter and journalist has told a tribunal that he felt as though he had "a target on my back" when he was dismissed by the BBC.

Jack Murley, from Bodmin, was a presenter with BBC Radio Cornwall from 2019 until 2024.

A tribunal in Exeter, heard how he was sacked by the corporation for posts on social media which the corporation said "breached applicable policies".

The former BBC presenter claims he was discriminated against for being gay and being a union representative.

Mr Murley is seeking more than £220,000 in compensation.

The tribunal heard from the former presenter of the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast, on Tuesday.

He said in his witness statement: “I was excellent at my job, winning industry awards and receiving praise from colleagues and listeners.

"Prior to 29 June 2023, I had never been subjected to any formal disciplinary processes.”

The BBC claims that Mr Murley was dismissed for breaching the rules and expectations of social media use for all colleagues.

In one of Mr Murley's social media posts on X, given as evidence by the BBC, he repeated graphic, homophobic abuse he received from a member of the public.

Jesse Crozier, barrister for the BBC referred to its guidelines on individual use of social media.

He highlighted that it says people should "not post anything that couldn’t be said on-air or on BBC platforms".

Mr Murley claimed this does not break the organisation's social media rules and said he had spoken about similar topics on the radio.

The claimant said he was receiving homophobic abuse from people on social media and "death threats for being gay".

In his witness statement he said: "I also received intense homophobic abuse from listeners to BBC Radio Cornwall; and worked in a culture at BBC Radio Cornwall in which homophobia was implicitly tolerated.”

He told the tribunal that a colleague advised him to "be less gay on air".

Mr Murley said his exchanges on social media where he reacted to some of the comments he received, was a way of “standing up for myself after many years of abuse”.

Mr Crozier also gave evidence of social media posts where Mr Murley expressed his views on the organisation's Local Value For All project, which involved changes to BBC local radio.

Mr Murley said these posts were acceptable given his role as an NUJ representative.

He was removed from his duties on 30 June 2023.

Since this date Mr Murley said it "had a corrosive and damaging impact on my mental health”.

In her witness statement, Emma Clements, executive editor for BBC Radio Cornwall said: “I was not influenced in any way by Jack’s sexual orientation or his activities as a trade union representative.

"As far as I am concerned, the decision was motivated solely by Jack’s own behaviour and breaches of the applicable policies, which were so serious they could have led to the BBC being fined by Ofcom.”

The tribunal continues.