Stephen Nolan 'deeply sorry' after explicit image allegations

BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has apologised after a newspaper published allegations he sent sexually explicit photographs of a potential guest.

The Irish News listed claims concerning Mr Nolan including an allegation that he sent images of Stephen Bear to his television production team in 2016.

On Friday, Mr Nolan said an image had been widely available on the internet and he had been talking to a "long-term friend and peer outside of work".

He said that he was "deeply sorry".

BBC News NI has not been able to independently verify the claims published by the Irish News.

The paper alleged that in 2016, while the production team on Nolan Live were attempting to book the reality TV contestant Stephen Bear for the programme, Mr Nolan had sent them two sexually explicit images of Bear.

According to the Irish News, the BBC subsequently carried out an investigation in 2018 following a complaint by a member of staff about the images.

Among the other allegations reported in the Irish News were that a BBC staff member had separately made a formal complaint of bullying against Mr Nolan.

However, according to the paper, that complaint was not upheld.

Meanwhile, on Friday Mr Nolan also said on his BBC Radio Ulster programme that allegations that members of BBC staff were placed in the audience of the Nolan Live TV show were "completely categorically false".

"There have been other headlines, too, including a suggestion that we manipulate programmes by planting producers in the studio audience," he said.

"I'm telling you now and I can say this on the record.

"That is completely categorically false.

"We do not do that in the Nolan team.

"We value our relationship with you far too much to compromise it."