Paul Gambaccini has stated that he would be “glad to see the BBC leave” despite the fact that he still conducts a weekly show on Radio 2 since, according to him, the BBC did not support him during fake sex charges.
The 73-year-old DJ with the monikers The Great Gambo and The Professor of Pop is featured in a new Channel 4 series titled The Accused: National Treasures on Trial.
It recounts the police raid and subsequent arrest of Gambaccini in November 2013 under Operation Yewtree, which occurred after the full extent of Jimmy Savile’s crimes came to light a decade earlier.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gambaccini was falsely accused of sexual abuse by two men and placed on police bail for eleven months, during which he documented his unhappiness through video diaries.
The Metropolitan Police cleared him of any wrongdoing after eleven months.
Gambaccini had wanted to continue working for the BBC after his incarceration, but he told the Telegraph that he did not feel supported by the broadcaster.
He stated that he believed the decision was based on “public relations” rather than an investigation into the allegations.
The show also details the fraudulent sex claims made against Sir Cliff Richard and DJ Neil Fox, who were ultimately exonerated.
Despite Gambaccini’s 50-year tenure with the BBC, he has stated that he would welcome the organization’s demise. It is currently confronted with problems, including a danger to its license fee.
During Operation Yewtree, the corporation denied the accused justice, according to his argument.
The weekly presenter of Radio 2’s Pick of the Pops, Gambaccini, claims that the documentary brings back unpleasant memories for him.
The 73-year-old returned to the BBC despite his fury after the CPS chose not to press charges.
He claimed that he returned to radio since his “primary relationship” as a broadcaster was with his audience, not his managers.
His remarks came after the BBC recently restricted what its employees might say in public.
Consequently, several individuals, including Emily Maitlis, have departed to work for other media sites. And it comes after a video of Gambaccini discussing his views on the BBC with Victoria Derbyshire in September went viral.
In the film, the 73-year-old stated that the BBC was ‘on the side of wrongdoers’ and that it allowed ‘fanatics’ to accuse celebrities of child exploitation.
He then challenged Fran Unsworth, the then-head of news, to a public debate in which he stated that he would “dissect her like a frog, without ether.”
Gambaccini claims that he has moved on from his outburst, but said that a BBC executive visited him three days after the event.
They informed him that he could discuss BBC management during the Lord Hall era, but not the current personnel.
The 73-year-old believes that they chose this attitude in order to protect themselves.
After Operation Yewtree, he published, in 2015, Paul Gambaccini: My Years Under Yewtree, a memoir detailing the incident’s impact on his life.
This memoir “more than sets the record straight,” according to Elton John, who is a close friend.
Throughout the duration of Operation Yewtree, Gambaccini and Cliff Richard supported one another.
And in 2018, Sir Cliff was granted £210,000 in damages against the BBC for their coverage of his case in the news.
Some individuals in the new documentary refer to the suffering of those arrested, released on bail, and never charged as “collateral damage.”
And they argue it was a “price worth paying” because the majority of those accused were convicted and sentenced to prison.
But Operation Yewtree wrecked Gambaccini’s happy life with his new husband Christopher Sherwood, as he was arrested a year after their wedding. As the documentary is about to debut, Gambaccini is planning to move to a new residence with a garden.
According to the 73-year-old, he chose to participate in the new documentary for practical reasons.
He stated that he has faith in the director Charlie Russell, who created his video diaries while he was out on bail.
However, Gambaccini harbors resentment towards Keir Starmer, who was Director of Public Prosecutions at the time of his detention.
He stated that his case became guilty until proven innocent as a result of Starmer’s statement at the time that police should trust every accuser, and he added that the possibility of his becoming prime minister filled him with dread.
On the other hand, he referred to Home Secretary Theresa May as “one of his heroes” since she convinced him to implement a 28-day cap on police bail.
However, he was not as impressed with Priti Patel, who he claimed showed no interest in the administration of justice after he stood with Cliff Richard and advocated for the anonymity of all people arrested by police until they are charged.
He stated to the Telegraph that he will continue to fight and added, “No man can consent to his own demise.”