The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has issued a formal, unconditional apology to a former radio presenter for the homophobic harassment he suffered during his employment.

Jack Murley, who worked for BBC Radio Cornwall from 2019 until his dismissal in 2024, had alleged he faced discrimination both for being gay and for his role as a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) representative. The BBC stated his dismissal was due to social media posts breaching its impartiality guidelines.

However, following an internal investigation into Murley's harassment claims, the corporation has now apologised. In a social media post on 18 December, Murley stated he had met with BBC management and received an in-person apology "for the repeated instances of homophobic and discriminatory abuse" he endured.

The apology follows a leaked report from the BBC's internal whistleblowing team, which detailed several substantiated instances of harassment. According to the report, these included a colleague calling Murley a "fairy boy," another using the homophobic slur "poof," and a remark from a colleague who said they understood why gay men were historically banned from donating blood.

Perhaps most damningly, the investigation found direct evidence that a senior manager failed to act on homophobic emails, texts, and phone calls Murley received from listeners. Instead of addressing the abuse, the manager reportedly advised Murley to be "less gay" on air.

The BBC has not commented publicly beyond the apology issued to Murley. The case has raised fresh questions about the corporation's handling of discrimination complaints and the workplace culture experienced by LGBTQ+ staff.