Gay police officer leaves Savile inquiry job in order to take part in Big Brother
A gay police officer and father who quit the Operation Yewtree investigation into paedophile Jimmy Savile so he could enter the Big Brother house has said: “What’s the problem? It’s not like I’m doing a porno.”
Scotland Yard has warned Big Brother broadcaster Channel 5 over the risks of having a former police officer as a contestant.
But Dan Neal told the Daily Star: “I don’t want to embarrass myself, let alone the police service. So I honestly don’t think it should have any impact on the investigation.
“It’s a game show at the end of the day. I don’t see how it would affect the image of the police.”
Asked whether he thought the decision would cause problems, the 33-year-old said: “No. I don’t see why it would. It’s not like I’m going into some porno industry.”
“I’m not going to make a tit of myself. I don’t want to embarrass myself, let alone the police service. So I honestly don’t think it should have any impact on the investigation.”
The father-of-one, originally from Ongar, Essex, worked with 30 officers on Operation Yewtree.
He kept his Big Brother application quiet from colleagues, and only told his son Cameron, 12, and two friends that he had applied for the show. He said: “The police don’t know that I’m doing this. I’ve kept it very quiet because generally I don’t think it’s going to be great for them.”
Channel 5 said procedures were in place to ensure that nothing problematic would be broadcast.
A spokesman for the broadcaster said: “Channel 5 takes its obligations as a broadcaster seriously and, as has been made clear to New Scotland Yard, extensive procedures are in place to ensure that nothing will be broadcast during the course of Big Brother which would involve the former police officer breaching confidentiality, invading the privacy of others, committing libel or a contempt of court.”
