Former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker is reportedly set to appear before an employment tribunal later this month following several workplace accusations. The star has been accused of bullying, misogyny and sexism by his former Channel 5 co-anchor, Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije.
According to the Daily Mail, which was the first to report the news, the London tribunal is expected to last four days, starting on 20 April. A source told the outlet that Dan denies the allegations and will present several character witnesses at the tribunal.
A spokesperson for ITN, which is the production company behind Channel 5, told HELLO!: “This claim, which is denied in full, will be addressed through the tribunal process.”
The presenter previously left the BBC in April 2022 after a decade, including nearly six years hosting the BBC Breakfast show. He then moved to Channel 5, where he worked as a co-anchor alongside Claudia-Liza for a year before her departure in 2023 after five years.
The reported allegations come after the star was at the centre of a workplace investigation in 2024, but his name was cleared.
“I haven’t really talked about it, but that was fully investigated and everything was completely incorrect and I was entirely vindicated by an independent inquiry. So yeah, that’s not nice, but you hold on to what you know the truth is and ultimately the truth is the important thing,” Dan told The Telegraph in September 2024.
“I know I’m not that person,” he said, adding that “there are days you worry about that, but also you know that that’s a picture you don’t recognise, and nobody you’ve ever worked with recognises.”
Dan’s TV career
Dan has worked across radio and TV since the late ’90s, with a career spanning nearly three decades. Across his more than a decade at the BBC, he hosted several shows, including Football Focus, Afternoon Edition on BBC Radio 5 Live, and his final gig as host of BBC Breakfast from 2016 to 2022.
Dan finished up his time at BBC Breakfast on 17 May 2022. Ahead of his final show, the presenter told viewers: “One thing I have realised, because lots of people want to chat to you about this programme. It means an awful lot to a lot of people. It’s reminded me how special this show is, and how much everybody who watches it loves it.”
Move to Channel 5
The presenter announced his departure from the BBC in a post to the official Channel 5 account on X (formerly Twitter) before joining the news station as an anchor on 5 News at 5.
“I’m really excited but this has also been a massive decision for me because I love BBC Breakfast, I love working alongside Sally and I love the team there,” he wrote at the time.
“But Channel 5 came with big ambitions, with big plans. And I don’t think opportunities like this come around very often. And I can’t wait.”
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