Tony Wadsworth and Julie Wadsworth (née Julie Mayer) are former English radio presenters who most recently worked for BBC Radio Leicester. In 2017, they were both jailed for historic child sexual abuse.

Marriage and radio careers

Tony 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. He met Julie Mayer while she was working as a seamstress and hired her to make a costume for a charity event. They were married in 1994.[1] He 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.[2][3] The Wadsworths presented there until their arrests in 2015.[2] In November 2015 they returned to BBC WM for a one-off show to celebrate the station's 45th anniversary.[4]

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.[5] Julie once posed for a BBC-sanctioned Calendar Girls-style photoshoot to raise funds for Children in Need.[1]

Child sexual abuse allegations and conviction

In January 2016, the Wadsworths went off air for "personal reasons",[6] and in April 2016 it was announced that both were charged with historical child sex offences.[7][8] Their trial at Warwick Crown Court began on 19 May 2017; the couple denied the charges.[9] The charges mostly involved the couple luring young boys into sex with Julie while Tony acted as a "lookout".[1] The incidents occurred between 1992 and 1996, when the boys were aged from 11 to 15.[2] On 9 June 2017, they were convicted of indecently assaulting six under-age boys and outraging public decency. Each was jailed for five years.[2] On 7 November 2021, the Sunday Mercury reported that the couple had recently been released from prison.[10]

Following their convictions, a spokesperson for the BBC stated that they no longer were employed by the corporation.[2] De Montfort University revoked Tony Wadsworth's doctorate.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 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.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ex-BBC presenters Tony and Julie Wadsworth jailed for sex offences". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "BBC Radio WM – Legends Weekend, Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer (07/11/2015)". BBC. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Honorands 2012". De Montfort University. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "BBC Radio Leicester couple Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer face child sex charges". BBC News. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "BBC presenter Julie Wadsworth 'performed sex act on boy', court hears". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "Tony and Julie Wadsworth 'had sex in parkland'". BBC News. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Lockley, Mike (7 November 2021). "Shamed ex-BBC WM stars released from jail after targeting boys for sex". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Disgraced ex-BBC WM host Tony Wadsworth stripped of university doctorate. Birmingham Mail (21 June 2017). Retrieved 1 May 2018.
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