Loose Women presenter Kaye Adams has been taken off her BBC Radio Scotland show following allegations she bullied her co-workers.
The star, 62, has been removed from her £155,000-a-year job hosting the morning show while bosses conduct an inquiry into complaints from junior colleagues that she ‘shouted and screamed’ at them.
It is believed the complaints were raised under the BBC’s Call It Out scheme to address bad behaviour in the workplace – an initiative set up in the aftermath of the scandal over former MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
BBC Scotland refused to comment on the allegations against former Strictly contestant Ms Adams but confirmed she had not left the organisation permanently.
A spokesman added: ‘We would not comment on any individual case. If any complaints or concerns are raised we have robust internal processes in place to manage these.’
One senior BBC source told The Mail on Sunday Ms Adams is not expected back on air for at least two weeks while the investigation continues.
After we contacted Ms Adams, her spokesman said ‘no complaints had been presented to her by the BBC’.
He added: ‘Further, she has worked for BBC Radio Scotland for more than 15 years and in that time has never had any issue raised about her.’
Loose Women presenter Kaye Adams (above) has been taken off her BBC Radio Scotland show following allegations she bullied her co-workers
Ms Adams’ removal from air has become the talk of the BBC’s Pacific Quay (above) in Glasgow
Ms Adams has been a long-standing presenter of ITV’s daytime talkshow Loose Women – which she hosted on Friday – and also works for the BBC as a freelance presenter as well as hosting her phone-in show on BBC Radio Scotland, a job she has had since 2010.
She now occupies the 9am to midday slot several days a week with a show called Mornings With Kaye Adams, but has not been on air since October 6.
Sources confirmed she was asked to attend a meeting with the station’s new head of audio, Victoria Easton Riley, on October 8.
A BBC source said: ‘The meeting did not go well and Kaye stormed out. She hasn’t been back since and she’s not been on air.’
HR officials have already started interviewing staff about the allegations.
Another senior BBC Scotland source said: ‘Kaye has been taken off air, she’s gone.
‘There have been complaints about her behaviour, and they’ve removed her while they investigate it. It’s being talked about all over Pacific Quay [BBC Scotland’s headquarters].
‘After the Gregg Wallace fiasco, they’re now getting much tougher on complaints about the talent and are starting to take these things seriously.’
Wallace was sacked after 45 allegations of misconduct against him spanning 19 years were upheld. They included one incident of unwelcome physical contact, three complaints of being in a state of undress and others involving inappropriate sexual, culturally insensitive or racist comments.
He was sacked along with Mr Torrode who was found to have used an extremely offensive racist term.
Junior colleagues have complained that Ms Adams (above) ‘shouted and screamed’ at them
The BBC has been trying to clean up its act following a number of bullying allegations.
One inquiry involving Breakfast host Naga Munchetty is still ongoing, while Strictly Come Dancing has been rocked by scandals.
Ms Adams was on the dance show in 2022, paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, and was the first celebrity voted out.
A BBC Radio Scotland source said: ‘The Call It Out campaign is everywhere now and that’s what has prompted people to come forward about Kaye.’
Ms Adams also hosts an independently produced podcast called How To Be 60 but previously admitted lying about her age – knocking a full decade off the real figure – before coming clean.
Last year she won a ten-year battle with HMRC over a £124,000 tax bill, after courts found she was right to be classed as a freelance worker when she hosted the BBC Radio Scotland programme from 2013 to 2017. During that case it was revealed she was paid £155,000 to present at least 160 programmes for the broadcaster.
Ms Adams supports a number of charities including the Beatson Cancer charity; Kindred, which helps parents of children with complex needs; and family support charity Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire.
She lives in Glasgow with her partner, tennis coach Ian Campbell. The couple have two daughters.
She has been replaced on air by Connie McLaughlin.
A source said Ms Adams had yet to inform ITV of the allegations and the BBC investigation.
