BBC reporter could be suspended for calling out Tyson Fury over ‘gays and paedophilia’ comments
BBC news presenter Andy West faces suspension for comments he made on Facebook about the controversy surrounding boxing champ Tyson Fury.
BuzzFeed reports that the Northern Ireland host took to social media to express his concerns that the BBC “is hurting me and other gay people by celebrating someone who considers me no better than a paedophile”.
The comment has since been deleted, but the presenter went on to write: “It is tempting to see him for the laughable idiot he is but sadly there are many other idiots who will be inspired and encouraged by his naive, juvenile bigotry.
“I am ashamed to work for the BBC when it lacks the bravery to admit it is making a mistake”.
This years Sport’s Personality of the Year award has been surrounded by massive controversy after Fury was short-listed, given his comments about gay people and women.
A petition to remove him from the list has passed 100,000 signatures yet the BBC has refused to remove his nomination despite a series of homophobic comments the boxer made in a video.
In the video, he said: “There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home: one of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one’s paedophilia”.
Greater Manchester Police are now pursuing a complaint of hate crime and investigating Fury over his comments.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, one of West’s friends said: “Andy loves the BBC but is so sad to see it giving a pedestal to someone who seems to be causing injury to people like him, who want to live their lives as the people they are. He just wants to stand up for gay people”.
In a leaked email from Andy West to BBCs director general Tony Hall, he wrote: “I appeal to you as an equal opportunities employer and proud bastion of fair-thinking to consider whether it is appropriate to celebrate someone who has stated that gay people are sign of a coming Armageddon and equates homosexuals to paedophiles”.
A BBC spokesperson has stated in response “We do not routinely comment on individual staff matters”.
