Tony Wadsworth and Julie Wadsworth (née Julie Mayer and known professionally by her maiden name) are former English radio presenters who presented shows on both BBC WM and BBC Radio Leicester. They were most recently heard on Radio Leicester, and for a time were known as the "Richard and Judy" of local radio. In 2017, they were both sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted on several counts of historic child sexual abuse that occurred during the 1990s.
Marriage and radio careers
editTony Wadsworth was born in Leicester, and worked for a time in his family's business, before getting into broadcasting, presenting 'Weekdays with Waddo' on Radio Leicester. His father, Tommy Wadsworth, was also a presenter at BBC Leicester, and was one of the first voices to be heard on the station when it launched in 1968. Tony Wadsworth met Julie Mayer while she was working as a seamstress at Leicester's Haymarket Theatre and hired her to make a costume for a charity event. They were married in 1994.[1][2][3] She continued to use Mayer as her on-air surname after their marriage.[4] In 2004, Julie Wadsworth revealed that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer.[5] She was given the all clear the following year after undergoing surgery.[2]
Following their marriage, Tony Wadsworth moved to the BBC WM studios at Pebble Mill in Birmingham. Tony presented all the mainstream programmes including Breakfast and Drive. Alongside Julie, he also presented the regional Late Show, and the couple became known as the "Richard and Judy" of local radio. In 2005, they returned to his hometown and began broadcasting on BBC Radio Leicester.[6][7] At BBC Leicester, Tony Wadsworth presented the weekday mid-morning show,[8] while his wife was a travelling reporter, presenting from the station's radio car on both the breakfast show and the programme that followed.[3] The Wadsworths presented at BBC Leicester until their arrests in 2015.[6] In November 2015 they returned to BBC WM for a one-off show to celebrate the station's 45th anniversary.[9][10]
Charity work and awards
editThe couple involved themselves in charity, including raising funds for children's charities, and in 2001 organised Tony and Julie's Children of Merit honours for children who had "shown great courage or exceptional kindness". Medals for the awards were produced by the Birmingham Mint. On another occasion, Tony Wadsworth performed in a Beatles tribute band for charity.[11] Julie Wadsworth once posed for a BBC-sanctioned Calendar Girls-style photoshoot to raise funds for Children in Need.[1] Tony Wadsworth won several awards, including: a Sony award for the Best Local Radio Programme, a Gillard gold award for the Best Daytime Programme, a Gillard silver award for the reality radio soap series: The Street, and a Gillard bronze award for The Street Party. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in 2012 by De Montfort University Leicester in recognition of his services to broadcasting and to the Leicestershire community.[12]
Child sexual abuse allegations and conviction
editIn January 2016, the Wadsworths went off air for "personal reasons",[13] and in April 2016 it was announced that both were charged with historical child sex offences.[14][15] Their trial at Warwick Crown Court began on 19 May 2017; the couple denied the charges.[16] The charges mostly involved the couple luring young boys into sex with Julie Wadsworth while Tony Wadsworth acted as a "lookout".[1] The incidents occurred between 1992 and 1996, when the boys were aged from 11 to 15, and happened at a golf course and in surrounding woodland near the Warwickshire market town of Atherstone, and at the couple's place of residence, which was at the time in Atherstone.[6][17][18] On 9 June 2017, they were convicted on nine charges of indecently assaulting six under-age boys and on five counts of outraging public decency, by a majority verdict of 10–2. Julie Wadsworth was cleared of a further charge relating to an incident said to have occurred at the couple's home.[19][18] Each was jailed for five years,[6] and ordered to register as sex offenders for life.[20] In his summing up statement, judge Andrew Lockhart QC described the case as "grave offending against boys, some of whom were very young – I have come to a view that all were damaged by their experience."[20]
Following their convictions, a spokesperson for the BBC stated that they no longer were employed by the corporation.[6] De Montfort University revoked Tony Wadsworth's doctorate.[21] The Wadsworths became eligible to be considered for parole on 6 January 2020.[22] On 7 November 2021, the Sunday Mercury reported that the couple had recently been released from prison.[23]
References
edit- ^ a b c Baynes, Chris (9 June 2017). "Ex-BBC radio couple Tony and Julie Wadsworth jailed for five years over sex crimes against underage boys". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ a b Young, Graham (23 March 2005). "WM stars complete final show". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Presenter profile: Julie Mayer". BBC News. BBC. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Hyland, Kaggie (10 June 2017). "Ex-BBC presenters found guilty of indecently assaulting under-age boys". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ McCarthy, Nick (9 April 2016). "Ex-BBC WM presenters Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer charged with child sex offences". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Ex-BBC presenters Tony and Julie Wadsworth jailed for sex offences". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "BBC couple known as the 'Richard and Judy of local radio' charged with child sex offences". The Telegraph. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Presenter profile: Tony Wadsworth". BBC News. BBC. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "BBC Radio WM – Legends Weekend, Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer (07/11/2015)". BBC. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Curnow, Shaun (6 November 2015). "BBC WM readies Legends Weekend to celebrate 45 years on air". Time Out Birmingham. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Dorman, Nick; Sharpe, Amy; Rodger, James (12 June 2017). "Shamed ex-BBC radio couple hid abuse to organise kids awards". Coventry Live. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Honorands 2012". De Montfort University. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
- ^ Martin, Dan J (4 January 2016). "BBC Leicester's Tony Wadsworth, Julie Mayer and Jonathan Lampon off air dealing with personal issues". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 23 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "BBC Radio Leicester couple Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer face child sex charges". BBC News. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "BBC presenter Julie Wadsworth 'performed sex act on boy', court hears". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "Tony and Julie Wadsworth 'had sex in parkland'". BBC News. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ McCarthy, Nick (22 May 2017). "Ex-BBC presenters 'giggled as they had sex in front of boys' court hears". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Victim of ex-BBC stars Tony and Julie Wadsworth 'happy' over conviction". BBC News. BBC. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "Ex-BBC presenters given five-year jail terms for indecently assaulting boys". The Guardian. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Ex-BBC presenters jailed for sex assaults on under-age boys". Belfast Telegraph. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Disgraced ex-BBC WM host Tony Wadsworth stripped of university doctorate. Birmingham Mail (21 June 2017). Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- ^ "Criminal sentence – JW – Warwick Crown Court – Judge Nicholas Dean QC". The Law Pages. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Lockley, Mike (7 November 2021). "Shamed ex-BBC WM stars released from jail after targeting boys for sex". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 11 January 2024.