Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has entered a plea of not guilty to a total of 15 charges, including rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault, during a court appearance in central London. The 68-year-old broadcaster, known for hosting the BBC's first rap show, attended Southwark Crown Court to formally face the accusations, which relate to seven different women and span a significant 33-year period. The specific charges against him include four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and nine counts of indecent assault. The former DJ stood in the glass dock, dressed in a burgundy shirt and black jeans, where he only spoke to confirm his identity and enter his pleas of not guilty to all 15 counts. He was subsequently granted bail until his trial, which is provisionally scheduled to commence in January 2027, reports The WP Times citing guardian.
The allegations claim that the alleged offences took place between 1983 and 2016, covering the duration of his time at the BBC and beyond. Westwood hosted programs on Radio 1 between 1994 and 2013, establishing himself as one of the UK’s most recognizable figures in the hip-hop scene.
The specific breakdown of the charges outlines four counts of indecent assault alleged to have occurred in the 1980s in London, while three further counts of indecent assault are alleged to have taken place at the BBC Studios in 1996, during the period he was a Radio 1 host.
Further charges against the former DJ accuse him of raping a woman at a hotel in 1996. The prosecution also alleges two counts of indecent assault and one count of rape stemming from the early 2000s at a London address.
The charges continue with two counts of rape alleged to have occurred at a London address in the 2010s. Additionally, he is accused of the sexual assault of a woman at a nightclub in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 2010, and the sexual assault of a woman in the Finchley area of London in 2016.
The court heard that Westwood, whose address was given as Westminster in central London, is alleged to have raped women, kissed them, and touched their bodies without consent. At an earlier hearing last month at Westminster Magistrates Court, the broadcaster was granted conditional bail and instructed not to contact witnesses in the case. The pre-trial review hearing is scheduled for a date to be decided in December next year. Westwood, who previously stated he "strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour," left the dock after Judge Baumgartner set the provisional trial date for 25 January 2027.
Westwood initially began his career on local radio before moving to Capital Radio in London. After leaving the BBC in 2013 following 20 years of service, he hosted a regular show on Capital Xtra until he departed in April 2022.
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