BBC Northern Ireland’s highest paid presenter “corrupted” a recruitment process by coaching a candidate before an interview, it has been alleged in Westminster.
Stephen Nolan, who hosts The Nolan Show, was accused by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Gregory Campbell of giving questions in advance to an applicant for a “highly sought after job” on his production team.
The process was “rigged”, Mr Campbell claimed during a debate on BBC commissioning in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Earning more than £404,999 (€465,262) from the licence fee in 2022/23, Mr Nolan is the BBC’s fifth-highest paid presenter in the UK and top earner in BBC NI. This is for his work on the BBC Radio Ulster weekday phone-in radio show as well as a television programme and 5 Live radio show.
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Using parliamentary privilege, Mr Campbell named the presenter for allegedly engaging in a process that “wasn’t fair” and “lacked integrity”.
“Because the unsuccessful applicants didn’t lose out necessarily because they were unprepared for the interview process,” he said.
“They lost because unlike the winning candidate, the presenter did not ring them up and give them the interview questions in advance.
“Nor were they treated to a nice meal by the presenter before the interview.”
Addressing the MP Laurence Robertson, who was chairing the Westminster Hall debate, Mr Campbell said that during the summer recess he was given “a very disturbing volume of internal BBC material, some from human resources, some text messages, and they were between production teams”.
He told the hearing that the most “disturbing and alarming piece of information” related to an internal recruitment process for a “highly sought after job in the BBC Nolan production team”.
“It’s clear by the fact that a number of notable people in Northern Ireland media sector applied for the role that only one person was successful, while at least 10 other internal as well as external candidates lost out. But Mr Robertson, the process was rigged.”
He added: “Mr Chairman, this former BBC employee is prepared to come before this house and testify in committee that Stephen Nolan corrupted a BBC recruitment process by giving one applicant the interview questions in advance and coaching them on how they should answer questions.”
Mr Campbell then claimed the former BBC employee wrote to the former director of BBC Northern Ireland, Peter Johnston, in October 2018 “and told him about this corruption of process”.
Mr Campbell said that he was unaware of any subsequent investigation or action and referred to Mr Johnston’s recent appointment to lead the review into Russell Brand’s time at the BBC.
“Truth and integrity demands a thorough investigation with government ministers telling the director general that he needs to act and needs to act now,” he added.
The Conservative Minister of State for Media, John Whittingdale, responding for the UK government during the hearing, said the allegations “would need to be investigated” but added it was not a matter that the government “can or should” investigate.
He suggested that Mr Campbell should contact Michael Smyth, the recently appointed BBC board member for Northern Ireland, who has an oversight role.
Responding to the allegations, a BBC spokesman said the corporation “is committed to filling vacancies in line with employment law and best practice”.
He added: “Stephen Nolan does not sit on interview panels for BBC staff jobs, including for this role, and decisions are made solely by the panel members.
“We will, of course, consider carefully any evidence Mr Campbell might want to share with us and take seriously the need to protect the fairness and integrity of our recruitment processes.”
