Top-earning BBC presenter issues apology after 'sharing sexually explicit image' with staff

Bear, who's currently serving 21 months behind bars for revenge porn and voyeurism, was reportedly wanted by Nolan to appear on his show back in 2016.

As Nolan returned to Radio Ulster on Friday, he addressed the allegations just moments into the broadcast.

He said to his listeners: "We have had days, as you probably know, of headlines about me and the Nolan team in the papers this week.

"I am not ignoring the story. It is just that the BBC has processes in place to deal with staff complaints and I do need to totally respect those processes.

"They have got to be confidential for them to work.

"I can say one thing though and it is that I am sorry.

"There was a photograph, it was widely available on the internet and I was talking to a long-term friend and peer outside of work.

"I am deeply sorry," he added.

Director of BBC Northern Ireland Adam Smyth had addressed the reports earlier this week after the allegations were made public.

He told BBC News NI: "There are important considerations of fairness and confidentiality involved in the handling of any workplace-related complaint.

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"We take these obligations seriously - and in the interests of everyone involved.

"It is for these reasons that we cannot comment on the specifics of any individual case, who/what it may have involved or its outcome."

The radio host received between £400,000 and £404,999 last year from the licence fee, the BBC revealed in its annual report.

Only Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball, Alan Shearer and Huw Edwards were paid higher than Nolan.