PLATELL: Dan Walker is a quiet, hard-working, devoted family man

Two years after Channel 5 News’s first-ever black newsreader Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije accused her co-presenter Dan Walker of ‘bullying’, ‘misogyny against a black woman’ and ‘sexism’ in the workplace, she withdrew all charges against him at an industrial tribunal last week.

‘Claudia-Liza fully withdraws her allegations relating to Dan Walker and does not intend to repeat or pursue them,’ said her lawyers.

Devout Christian Walker – who won’t even work on Sundays due to his religious beliefs – was desperate for his day in court to clear his name of all the damaging charges.

Back in 2024, an internal Channel 5 investigation into claims against Walker exonerated him completely. Yet even after that, for two long years the Sword of Damocles was poised over Walker’s head and his entire career in the balance.

Awaiting the tribunal, which the news anchor knew would be publicly reported, must have felt like a lifetime for him and his young wife and family.

Then, for Vanderpuije to withdraw all charges and make a private settlement on day five of the hearing in the London Tribunals Centre, to me smacks of a lack of confidence in her own allegations.

What utter misery for him. And it begs the question: why these hearings should be held in public when they can do so much reputational damage to innocent people?

In 2022, Walker was head-hunted by Channel 5 from his presenting role on the then hugely successful BBC Breakfast show to co-host alongside Vanderpuije

Isn’t it telling that, in her original case, Vanderpuije was only suing her former employers Channel Five and ITN? Walker’s name was only added later.

Perhaps because more than 50 of Walker’s present and former colleagues across the broadcasting spectrum, including Zoe Ball, Myleene Klass, Sue Barker, top footballers (he presented Football Focus for years as well as the BBC Breakfast) and legions of BBC journalists all came forward prepared to give evidence to his fine character, his compassion and his professionalism in the workplace.

It all began so well in 2018 when Channel 5 celebrated the appointment of their first black female news presenter. In a world where TV bosses were under increasing attack for a lack of diversity on screen, Vanderpuije was their superstar.

Then, in 2022, Walker was head-hunted by Channel 5 from his presenting role on the then hugely successful BBC Breakfast show to co-host alongside Vanderpuije. Only two years later, Vanderpuije made her first allegations against him.

For reasons only known to Channel 5, Vanderpuije was offered redundancy after allegations against her of workplace bullying, instability and tantrums, and unprofessional behaviour. Allowances were made for her as she had suffered personal issues after a divorce and a bereavement.

Then there was the explosive email – as revealed by my esteemed colleague Katie Hind – from Walker’s agent to the head of Channel 5 Ben Frow revealing that Walker was deeply concerned about his working conditions.

Despite claims from Vanderpuije’s camp that the email called for her sacking, Walker’s people emphatically deny this and say it simply stated his concerns that he was working in a very unprofessional setting alongside her and the bosses needed to get a grip on the situation.

Long story short, Vanderpuije took her concerns to the HR department and lodged her complaints of ‘bullying, misogyny against a black woman and sexism’ in the workplace – not just against Channel 5, but the entire ITN news operation.

After Vanderpuije withdrew all allegations against Walker, he said: ‘I firmly believe that I should never have been pulled into this’

ITN decided to offer Vanderpuije voluntary redundancy, to which she hit back, saying she was the victim of a ‘sham’ redundancy because she was a ‘whistleblower’. The channel was, according to Vanderpuije, trying to get rid of her to appease Walker, who was paid more than her.

It was also reported that in 2023, after Vanderpuije first lodged her complaints, the dispute became so toxic that she was banned entirely from the newsroom by ITN’s bosses.

When she returned to her desk against their wishes she was told to go home, as ‘a duty of care to you and others involved’, which left her, insiders say, ‘absolutely furious’ and ‘incandescent with rage’.

All in all, it’s a sad but salutary tale. 

After Vanderpuije withdrew all allegations against Walker, he said: ‘I firmly believe that I should never have been pulled into this; however, I was fully prepared to go to tribunal to defend the allegations levelled against 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.’

To the bitter end, Dan Walker carried his burden with dignity and proved himself to be a decent, kind and forgiving Christian.