The BBC board has apologised over “missed opportunities” to tackle “bullying and misogynistic behaviour” by former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood.

An independent report commissioned in 2022 by the BBC into what the corporation knew about Mr Westwood’s conduct was published on Tuesday, highlighting a series of incidents and allegations that it said amounts to a “considerable body of evidence” that it failed to investigate properly.

The BBC executive admitted it did not “take adequate action”, saying: “It is clear that in the past, the BBC has not only been too siloed but too deferential to high-profile individuals.”

The BBC had previously acknowledged six complaints about bullying and sexual misconduct. In a video that appeared on social media last year, the DJ said: “It’s all false allegations.”