Channel 5 and ITN have agreed to settle a legal claim for sexism, bullying and misogyny from Dan Walker’s former co-star Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije.
The presenter and his employers ITN and Channel 5 agreed to pay Ms Vanderpuije, 47, an undisclosed amount to withdraw her tribunal, with no admission of liability.
It came after several days of tense out-of-court negotiations between the parties.
Mr Walker, 49, would have been called to give evidence about his relationship with his co-host during a five-week hearing.
The trial was due to start on Monday, but was put off until Friday amid legal wrangling, only for the settlement to be announced this afternoon.
Former BBC Breakfast host Mr Walker, who had denied all the allegations, said in a statement posted to social media following the decision: ‘Channel 5 and ITN have reached an agreement with the claimant.
‘I firmly feel that I should never have been pulled into this; however, I was fully prepared to go to tribunal and defend the allegations which were levelled at me.
‘Through all of this, I have always been concerned for the claimant’s wellbeing, and that has not changed. I hope she finds peace.
Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije made claims of ‘racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying’ against Dan Walker, ITN, Channel 5 and ITN’s chief executive, Rachel Corp
Ms Vanderpuije, pictured today, has settled her tribunal for an undisclosed sum, with no admission of liability on either side
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‘I want to thank my family and friends for all their love and support through this.
‘I will be forever grateful to those who were kind enough to go on the record with their accounts of working alongside me.
‘My thanks also to my legal team and the wonderful colleagues at 5 News and Classic FM who have supported me every step of the way.’
He had been set to present more than 50 character witness statements from footballers, Olympians, BBC journalists, TV presenters and other colleagues.
Among them was legendary broadcaster Sue Barker, who publicly backed her former BBC Sport colleague, saying he had her ‘100 per cent support’.
‘I don’t feel I’m putting my head above the parapet speaking up for Dan,’ she said. ‘I have sat next to him in production many times and he really is one of the nicest, most courteous and hard-working presenters I have broadcast with.’
A spokesman for Ms Vanderpuije said today: ‘Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije can confirm that a mutual agreement has been reached with ITN and Channel 5 in respect of the matters subject to tribunal proceedings. Claudia-Liza fully withdraws her allegations relating to Dan Walker and does not intend to repeat or pursue them.’
Last week, Ms Vanderpuije’s lawyer Jonathan Coad, who previously represented disgraced ITV presenter Phillip Schofield, said that her claims centred on a ‘toxic culture of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying’ in the Channel 5 newsroom.
‘Claudia-Liza claims that she was the victim of a sham redundancy because, as a whistleblower, she made protected disclosures alleging that a toxic culture of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying existed in the Channel 5 newsroom, and that its editorial content reflected its racist culture,’ he said.
‘In her claim, she alleges that ITN and Channel 5 have tried to cover up the racist culture at Channel 5 News, which they have tolerated despite this breaching their statutory obligations under [the] Equality Act 2010 [and] the terms of their Ofcom licence.’
Mr Walker, a father-of-three and devout Christian, did not appear at London Tribunal Centre for the case’s anticipated start on Monday.
Instead, he was hosting a Classic FM Live show at the Royal Albert Hall. In an Instagram video, he made an apparent quip about the tribunal, joking about having to ‘desert’ his co-host Myleene Klass.
Previously, a source told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Dan absolutely denies any sexism, misogyny, racism or bullying. It has been hanging over him for some years now.
‘Nobody wants this but he will be there to tell the judge the truth.
‘There will be tons of witness statements which will talk to Dan’s character. He has been absolutely stunned with the amount of people willing to support him.
‘He has been stunned and actually very upset to be accused of such things.’
A new report this week claimed Ms Vanderpuije circulated email exchanges when she was banned from the newsroom after lodging her complaint in 2024, but ultimately lost support from colleagues who have largely remained loyal to Walker.
The Times reported that the dispute became so heated that Ms Vanderpuije was banned from the newsroom by ITN’s chief executive, Rachel Corp, who was also named as a respondent in the tribunal.
Ms Vanderpuije responded by circulating their exchange of emails to scores of colleagues.
In February 2024, she was offered paid leave by ITN while they investigated her complaints and her redundancy consultation continued.
When she returned to her desk, she was told to go home ‘as a duty of care to you and others involved,’ an insider claimed, adding that ‘any sympathy she may have garnered internally was lost when she named Dan Walker specifically in the tribunal’.
An ITN spokesman said: ‘We continue to deny these claims in full, and we are glad this matter has been resolved.’
