‘Nobody expects her to come back, and to be honest, nobody is that surprised by the allegations.’ Industry insiders reveal what’s REALLY behind Kaye Adams’ shocking suspension

On October 7, listeners tuned in to BBC Scotland’s flagship morning phone-in slot expecting to hear straight-talking host Kaye Adams ready to discuss the big talking points of the day.

Except that, come 9am, it was the whereabouts of Ms Adams, one of the country’s most in-demand presenters on radio and television, that was raising questions.

The BBC had said nothing in advance indicating its host would be absent from the current affairs programme she’s worked on for more than 15 years. She did not feature the next day or the day after.

She has not returned to the ‘Mornings with…’ programme since.

Shockingly, after almost four weeks, nobody has yet officially spelt out – least of all to the veteran broadcaster herself – why she is no longer on air. It took the BBC two weeks before it confirmed that the 62-year-old freelance journalist had been suspended from her £155,000-a-year role.

Yet chatter from inside BBC Scotland’s Glasgow headquarters includes allegations that the presenter has been bullying staff, including shouting at co-workers – accusations that Ms Adams only found out from The Mail on Sunday and claims which she strenuously denies.

In fact, the host, who is also one of ITV’s Loose Women, has described the past few weeks as some of the toughest she’s been through.

And what has now emerged is perhaps the biggest talking point as to what is really going on.

Those close to Kaye Adams say they fear she’s the subject of a witchhunt as BBC Radio Scotland seeks to chase younger, savvy audiences after axing its flagship Good Morning Scotland show

Those close to Ms Adams say they fear she’s the subject of a witchhunt as BBC Radio Scotland seeks to chase younger, savvy audiences after axing its flagship Good Morning Scotland show.

One friend told the Mail: ‘It looks like a witchhunt from where Kaye is standing – being suspended from work without explanation, not being told the apparent charges against her.

‘It’s even been suggested they’re going around asking people if they have complaints about her.’

Another described the scenario as ‘Kafkaesque’, with the presenter essentially facing a trial in public while she has no clue what the complaints against her are.

Ms Adams has publicly said she feels that her name has been dragged through the mud and has been left blindsided by her suspension. She also denies shouting at anyone, claiming it is ‘not my style’.

From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like a highly irregular way of handling an internal workplace dispute.

Suspending a worker without notice, explanation or prior disciplinary action would normally be reserved for the most serious offences.

Val Atkinson, BBC Scotland’s former deputy head of news and current affairs, agrees. She said: ‘I think it’s a basic tenet of any system of justice that the person is made aware of the allegations which they’re facing.

‘It’s weeks since Kaye was first suspended and she still does not know what the allegations are. Unless you are facing allegations of a particularly heinous nature, such as sexual or physical assault, then there should be some kind of route of verbal first and then written warnings. Suspension is a huge step, only taken in the most extreme circumstances.

‘While it may be that Kaye is not a direct employee of the BBC, she has spent many, many years as a front-person for BBC Scotland.

Ms Adams, pictured in Glasgow a week ago, has publicly said she feels that her name has been dragged through the mud and has been left blindsided by her suspension. She also denies shouting at anyone, claiming it is ‘not my style’

‘She is now seeing her reputation trashed in the media generally as her name is being linked with people who have done very serious things, like Gregg Wallace and Huw Edwards.

‘The BBC talks about values, but it should be in their values to treat people who have been their voice and their face of the BBC with some degree of respect.’

Ms Atkinson said working for the corporation was ‘not a vicar’s tea party’ and if mistakes are made it leaves ‘presenters with egg on their faces’.

She added: ‘I have no idea what the allegations are but I was an editor there for donkey’s [years]. I can tell you more than once I’ve had a few harsh words with people. I’d be very, very surprised if you could ever dream of that being a cause for suspension.’

For the complainers too – understood to be at least four employees – this is hardly easy either.

Insiders claim they deserve to have their concerns taken seriously and investigated privately, not disputed and torn apart publicly before they have been properly looked at.

One staffer said: ‘It’s what would happen in any normal place of work and the BBC should be no different. If anything it should uphold higher standards given it is funded by taxpayers’ hard-earned money.’

Earlier this week, after weeks of speculation, bosses finally confirmed that Good Morning Scotland, which has been running for 52 years, would be renamed and given new presenters.

Martin Geissler will be one of the new hosts alongside Laura Maciver.

Former BBC Scotland radio boss Jeff Zycinksi recently posted about his old workplace online, admitting the shows felt the same as when he used to work on them.

He said: ‘Unlike the news programmes – which have the full BBC news-gathering machine behind them – these mid-morning shows leave no hiding place for a producer who’s run out of ideas.

‘One weary colleague once described the process as “carving the show out of granite every bloody day”.

‘Add to that the fact that these teams are often full of bright young researchers straight out of college, and the senior producer ends up being part-coach, part- teacher and, occasionally, a protective buffer between eager newcomers and experienced presenters.’ He also chipped in on Ms Adams, adding: ‘I don’t know what’s been happening behind the scenes lately at BBC Radio Scotland, or what’s gone on between Kaye Adams and her production team.

‘But I can tell you this: during my time running the station, my desk was right next to the soft-seating area where Kaye and her team held their post-show debriefs.

‘I never once saw Kaye lose her temper. Quite the opposite – she listened patiently to the daftest ideas and gently steered them into something workable. If there was ever a problem, she dealt with it quietly and professionally over a coffee later.

On speaking about the investigation into Ms Adam, a senior BBC Scotland source said: ‘There’s a new campaign to tackle bullying in the workplace. ‘We’ve got two new bosses – Hayley Valentine and Victoria Easton Riley [pictured] – who have made it very clear they want to weed out any bad behaviour and their drive to have a decent work environment is what has given staff the confidence to come forward now. It is that straightforward. There’s no conspiracy’

‘What’s clear to me now, as a listener, is that the station – not just Kaye’s programme – could use a fresh burst of creativity.’

If the move was part of a wider shake-up of the morning schedule at BBC Scotland, there would have been much easier ways of removing a freelance presenter who didn’t fit the new agenda.

It happens in showbusiness all the time and most people in that industry get over the loss and move on to their next project. This feels more personal.

More likely, according to many in the corporation, is that there’s been a clash with the Beeb’s new bosses and Ms Adams.

The queen of the withering putdown, Ms Adams berated a journalist who reported on claims that she had been the subject of raised eyebrows before for her political viewpoints, saying that spelling her name correctly was about the only thing right in their article.

The corporation’s treatment of the long-serving star has left many people uncomfortable – and that includes those who aren’t the biggest fans of Ms Adams.

One BBC Scotland journalist said bluntly: ‘There’s no mourning going on. Nobody expects her to come back, and to be honest nobody is that surprised by the allegations.

‘What people are surprised about is the way it appears to be managed. It looks as though Kaye was suspended and then complaints are coming in after the fact.’

Another senior BBC Scotland source painted the investigation into Ms Adams in a simpler way. They explained: ‘There’s a new campaign to tackle bullying in the workplace.

‘We’ve got two new bosses – Hayley Valentine and Victoria Easton Riley – who have made it very clear they want to weed out any bad behaviour and their drive to have a decent work environment is what has given staff the confidence to come forward now. It is that straightforward. There’s no conspiracy.’

For its part, BBC Scotland has remained tight-lipped about the probe and the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant’s current employment status.

All it has confirmed is she has not ‘permanently left’ the BBC.

Looking at how the row is playing out, it’s hard to imagine Ms Adams ever returning to the BBC Scotland base at Pacific Quay.

She was due to resume her hosting role next week, according to BBC rotas, but her spokesman confirmed there were no plans for her to return imminently.

So what’s next for the broadcaster? ITV has said it is firmly standing by Ms Adams and her co-hosts and former colleagues have come out swinging in her defence.

Ms Adams, who has been a fixture on Loose Women since the daytime panel show’s launch in 1999, yesterday appeared alongside Nadia Sawalha, Frankie Bridge and Jane Moore.

She made no reference to her suspension from BBC Radio Scotland. But many of the women she works alongside there have made their views known.

Former panellist Carol McGiffin dedicated her magazine column entirely to Ms Adams this week, the headline declaring: ‘Kaye’s the best, not a bully.’

Ms McGiffin, too, asked what the BBC was playing at with its suspension of her friend. She ended by saying: ‘Yes, she’s annoying sometimes, but never a bully.’

Denise Welch and Ms Sawalha also lent their support to mystified Ms Adams.

Ms Welch said Kaye had ‘been a friend for 20 years and has always been there for me’, while Ms Sawalha added: ‘I have worked with [Kaye Adams] in multiple studios across the UK for over two decades.

‘I despise bullies and will not work with anyone I know to be a bully.

‘Shame on those that are putting her through this without any explanation.’