Tony Livesey exits BBC Radio 5 Live after 16 years

Longtime BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Tony Livesey has left the station after 16 years, a departure that follows his temporary step back from broadcasting in June amid questions raised by a documentary investigation. His exit was confirmed to staff on Monday, August 3, 2026, by the station's controller, Heidi Dawson.

Livesey, 62, had been absent from his late-night show since early June after being named in a BBC Panorama and Times investigation into his former employer, billionaire businessman and West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan. The documentary, titled "Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss," featured allegations from seven women who accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour during the 1980s and 1990s when he owned the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers. Sullivan has categorically denied all the allegations.

The investigation also drew attention to Livesey's tenure as editor-in-chief of those newspapers, a role he held for 18 years before leaving in 2006. One alleged victim, identified only as Florence, claimed that Livesey had arranged a meeting between her and Sullivan in 1999. In response, Livesey stated he had no recollection of...