Dan Walker shared his thoughts on the decision to settle out of court following allegations of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying within the Channel 5 News workplace and was clear in his opinion
Dan Walker has spoken following the news his former co-host Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije, 47, has settled their dispute out of court following allegations of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying within the Channel 5 News workplace.
The news on Friday was sure to be well received by Dan, but he insists he was ready to go to tribunal and it was not his decision to settle. Instead, he says he hopes his former colleague “finds peace”.
His statement, released on both his Instagram and Twitter/X accounts read: “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.
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“Through all of this, I have always been concerned for the claimant’s wellbeing, and that has not changed. I hope she finds peace.”The presenter went on: “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.”
On X above his statement, Dan made his feelings clear as he wrote: “Some news… all allegations withdrawn. I did NOT agree to settle.”
His words came after Channel 5 had released their own statement to also deny any wrongdoing. They said: “We strongly reject the claims that were made and are pleased that this matter has been resolved and that all the allegations relating to Dan Walker have been withdrawn.”
And in a short comment, an ITN spokesperson said: “We continue to deny these claims in full, and we are glad this matter has been resolved.
The employment dispute between the two presenters had came about following claims Vanderpuije brought against ITN and Channel 5. She alleged she was the victim of a sham redundancy after making protected disclosures as a whistleblower.
In her complaint, she raised concerns about a toxic newsroom culture including racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying. She also claimed its editorial output reflected that environment, further alleging attempts to cover up the culture despite obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the broadcaster’s Ofcom licence.
Following the withdrawal, a statement on behalf of Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije read: “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.”
Walker and Vanderpuije had previously been co-hosts on Channel 5 News together. They became colleagues after Walker joined the channel in 2022, following his decision to leave BBC Breakfast.
Vanderpuije had been with Channel 5 since 2018, but left in 2023, with sources at the time suggesting her departure was a sudden one.
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