BBC must act on ‘vile, bullying’ Chris Evans ...says his old friend
CHRIS Evans’ former business partner yesterday attacked the BBC for failing to investigate claims that the Top Gear host has been bullying staff.
John Revell, who worked with the Radio 2 DJ for nearly 30 years, said the star ‘can be vile’ and his behaviour is now ‘out of control’.
BBC bosses will not tackle the problem because they are scared of Evans, claimed Mr Revell, who started Ginger Productions with him and was his on-air sidekick on Virgin and Radio 1.
With a fortnight to go before Top Gear returns, Mr Revell accused the BBC of being ‘spineless’ for failing to investigate the claims. He alleges he ‘knows for a fact’ there is a paper trail of complaints against Evans inside the corporation.
Top Gear has run into a series of problems following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson and his team and the decision
‘If you say no to him, he loses his rag’
to appoint Evans, 50, as successor. In addition to the resignation of executive producer Lisa Clark, there have been reports of a rift between Evans and cohost and former Friends star Matt LeBlanc and negative publicity following a ‘disrespectful’ driving stunt near the Cenotaph in London.
Speaking to website Heat Street, Mr Revell accused the BBC of ‘utter hypocrisy’ for not investigating its star. He said: ‘He can be absolutely vile. He’s like a spoilt child. If you say no to him he tends to lose his rag. I think BBC management are scared of him.
‘I’m often asked my opinion of Chris. I rarely give it but I wanted to speak out on claims of his bullying because I genuinely think it’s gone too far and it’s got to stop.
‘I had hoped he’d got to an age where he would have stopped bullying and shouting and screaming at people, but by all accounts he hasn’t. Chris has a daughter – how would he feel if someone spoke to his daughter in that way? He’d be livid.
‘I’ve been on the receiving end of it. It didn’t bother me because I have broad shoulders, but it does affect a lot of people emotionally.’
Mr Revell, 57, said BBC management ‘won’t do anything about it for two reasons. Firstly, they’re scared to confront him because they’ve invested so much money in Top Gear and they know if they investigate it they’ll have to suspend him and the whole show could collapse, wasting a vast sum of public money. Secondly, I just think they’re scared of him screaming at them.’
Evans has not commented but tweeted yesterday: ‘ Seek out humour and humanity and you won’t go far wrong. A wise man just told me that.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘ The accusation that Chris’s behaviour has fallen below the standards required of BBC staff since taking on Top Gear is completely untrue – something we have made clear a number of times.’