Tony Livesey leaves BBC after allegations over David Sullivan newspaper role

Tony Livesey has left the BBC after allegations were raised about his previous career as editor-in-chief of David Sullivan’s Sport newspapers. Staff at BBC Radio 5 Live, where Livesey had most recently presented the 10pm to 1am show four days a week, were told that he would not be returning to the station. The presenter had stepped away from the role after the claims first emerged.

The departure ends a 16-year association with Radio 5 Live, the BBC’s speech-based network. Colleagues were notified through an internal note confirming that Livesey had left the station. The move comes after the presenter appeared in a Panorama investigation focused on David Sullivan, the businessman whose sport newspaper titles Livesey once edited. The programme and the attention it drew to Sullivan’s publications have placed Livesey’s earlier newspaper career under renewed scrutiny.

Before becoming a familiar voice on BBC radio, Livesey worked in print journalism. He served as editor-in-chief of the Sport newspapers, which were owned by Sullivan, before moving into broadcasting. At Radio 5 Live, he became a regular presence in the late-night schedule, hosting a programme that ran from 10pm to 1am four nights a week.

The precise nature of the allegations has not been explained publicly. The BBC has not issued a detailed statement about the claims or the circumstances surrounding Livesey’s exit, and no comment from the presenter has been released so far. The corporation has also not said whether a permanent replacement will be appointed for the programme.

The implications for Radio 5 Live’s schedule remain to be seen. The network has used Livesey’s show as a central part of its overnight output, and his absence is likely to leave a noticeable gap in the weeknight line-up. Staff were told that he would not be coming back, making clear that the separation is final rather than a temporary break.

Panorama, the BBC’s current affairs programme, had brought David Sullivan’s newspapers under fresh attention. Livesey’s appearance in that investigation, together with the allegations arising from his time at the Sport titles, has now brought an end to his time at the BBC. Listeners who followed his late-night programme will be waiting to see whether further information emerges about the claims and the circumstances of his departure.