Tony Livesey has resigned from his role as a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live, ending a 16-year tenure at the station. His departure follows a BBC investigation into allegations against David Sullivan, the former West Ham United chairman and billionaire media owner. The inquiry was sparked by a Panorama programme aired in June that examined claims of sexual misconduct against Sullivan during his time owning the Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers.

The Panorama investigation featured interviews with seven women who accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour spanning several decades. Among the allegations were claims that Sullivan abused his power both as a media proprietor and football club owner, including incidents involving women when they were teenagers. Sullivan has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false.

Livesey worked at the Sport newspapers for 18 years, eventually serving as editor-in-chief before joining the BBC in 2010. The investigation prompted questions about Livesey’s role during his time at the titles. One woman identified only as “Florence” told Panorama that Livesey introduced her to Sullivan, who then arranged a meeting at his home. Livesey has denied having any specific recollection of this introduction and said that facilitating such meetings was not part of his duties. He expressed sympathy for any woman who may have been victimised but rejected any suggestion that he played a role in these incidents, calling the allegation “abhorrent.”

A passage in a 1998 book authored by Livesey was also cited during the investigation. It mentions a concept co-devised by Livesey and Sullivan called the “countdown to 16,” referring to a feature marking models’ 16th birthdays, when they could legally be pictured topless. Livesey has stated that this was not his idea and that portions of the book were fictionalized to present him as more central to certain stories than he actually was.

Following the public airing of the allegations in June, Livesey stepped back from his late-night Radio 5 Live show and formally announced his departure in early August. Heidi Dawson, controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, acknowledged Livesey’s contributions to the station over many years, highlighting his role in major news and sports coverage and wishing him well in future endeavours.

Separately, Sullivan resigned as a director and co-chair of West Ham United in early June, prior to the joint investigation by the BBC and The Times. The BBC has not publicly commented on the findings of its internal probe related to Livesey’s conduct. The focus remains on the broader investigation into Sullivan’s alleged misconduct during his media ownership and football management career.