Ex-BBC presenter Liz Green says she is furious at the way the corporation mishandled her decade-long verbal abuse ordeal by a former colleague – saying she and three other females colleagues were only taken seriously when he also targeted Jeremy Vine.
The journalist’s nightmare began in 2011 when she made a documentary for BBC Radio Leeds which involved taking two teenagers – one Jewish and one Muslim – to Auschwitz.
Her report won an award at the time but also sparked more than ten years of fear and harassment after her former colleague Alex Belfield posted about it on X, which was then known as Twitter.
He indirectly suggested that Ms Green, 63, be sent to Auschwitz herself. Ms Green claims that the BBC told her at the time that it was ‘only a tweet’ when she raised it with them.
In the years since, Ms Green says she was called ‘ugly’, ‘old’, ‘boring’ and a ‘transvestite’ by Belfield.
The influx of hateful tweets, emails and YouTube videos from him caused her such stress both physically and mentally that her hair began to thin and she contemplated suicide.
But although Belfield made her life a misery, she says she doesn’t hate him. Instead, she directs her rage towards the BBC for their lack of action.
‘I don’t live with hatred for him – he is what he is – but I’m bloody angry at the BBC. It is one of the greatest broadcasting institutions in the world but it almost killed me,’ Ms Green told the Sunday Times.
Liz Green said she was called ‘ugly’, ‘old’, ‘boring’ and a ‘transvestite’ by former colleague Alex Belfield
Last Wednesday, the corporation apologised to Ms Green and three of her former colleagues, presenter Stephanie Hirst and executives Helen Thomas and Rozina Breen, who were subject to Alex Belfield’s ‘abuse’. Pictured: Alex Belfield in 2022
Ms Green claimed that the BBC did nothing about Belfield until he began targeting Jeremy Vine (pictured), who was subjected to ‘an avalanche of hatred’
But Ms Green claimed that the BBC did nothing about Belfield until he also began targeting Jeremy Vine, who was subjected to ‘an avalanche of hatred’.
She previously told The Sun: ‘Belfield has been harassing me and colleagues for years and got away with it. But when Jeremy was stalked it was suddenly treated very seriously.
‘I don’t hold it against Jeremy, because he has supported us all the way.
‘I am certain Belfield wouldn’t have taken it so far if the BBC took action against him right at the start.’
Last Wednesday, the corporation apologised to Ms Green and three of her former colleagues, presenter Stephanie Hirst and executives Helen Thomas and Rozina Breen, who were also subject to Belfield’s ‘abuse’.
The BBC’s statement read: ‘We recognise that before 2019, we simply didn’t do enough for these members of staff in understanding the full impact that Belfield’s unacceptable behaviour had on them.’
Women’s solicitor, Jill Whitehouse, spent 18 months trying to get the company to publicly apologise for the distressing situation and the Times reports that the women received a financial settlement.
However, the recent statement was signed off by Rhodri Talfan Davies, the head of nations at the BBC, rather than director-general Tim Davie.
Ms Green says that top boss Tim Davie (pictured) should have apologised for the BBC’s lack of action
Ms Green – who left the corporation two years ago – told the outlet: ‘Tim Davie is the editor-in-chief. He owes us that apology.’
The BBC offered the female colleagues a cup of tea with Davie after Belfield’s conviction but they declined. They also told the outlet that the apology was made with his backing, adding that he is ‘very sorry for what happened’.
Belfield was employed by the company on a temporary contract for less than a year in 2010 but several complaints from staff about his behaviour meant bosses chose not to renew his employment.
The newspaper reported that the 44-year-old grilled a young producer and called her useless’, a comment which led to her crying in the toilets.
Belfield was suspended after telling a female weather presenter live on air he liked to watch her while on his leather sofa, ‘naked and with a box of tissues handy’.
After he left the BBC, the tirade of hateful comments started. Ms Green said: ‘I was a fat drag queen who wore a wig — I was boring and useless. We were all c***s, all bullies.’
Belfield’s insulting and defamatory messages appeared to have a lasting impact on Ms Green, who became a Type 2 diabetic and had high blood pressure due to stress, although she did not wish to say he caused her health problems.
She had been to see Helen Thomas, who was told to help his victims, despite her being a victim herself, with Belfield even ‘announcing her death’ on Twitter.
Belfield was employed by the company on a temporary contract for less than a year in 2010 but several complaints from staff about his behaviour meant bosses chose not to renew his employment
The BBC also apologised to Stephanie Hirst (pictured) who was subjected to abuse from Belfield
Rozina Breen (pictured) was the former head of BBC north and Belfield’s boss when he was at BBC Radio Leeds
Ms Green said that the BBC never made a statement to deny Belfield’s claims, telling the Times: ‘Our reputation in the industry was besmirched, but the BBC never said, “He’s wrong. These people are not bullies”.’
It also reported that the BBC repeatedly advised the four female victims to delete his emails, in turn, destroying the evidence that could’ve been used in court, with Ms Whitehouse claiming that this damaged the case.
Ms Green argued that the company only started taking claims seriously when ‘high profile men’ such as Mr Vine, became the subject of his abuse.
She said: ‘They didn’t think we were worth the hassle. We were just four women in Leeds.’
Mr Vine said during the court case that the stalking from Belfield left him feeling ‘shredded’.
He added: ‘It launched incredible hate against me. I had 5,000 to 10,000 hateful personal tweets as a direct result of Belfield.
‘He kept on and on. I was anxious. I couldn’t eat or sleep for a time.
‘I felt wounded and felt there was absolutely no escape.
‘We are dealing with serious criminality here. This is not a regular troll. This is the Jimmy Savile trolling. Every reference to him makes my flesh creep. All he does is lie.’
Belfield will be released on June 25 and even has his own website with a countdown clock ticking down the seconds until he gets out of jail
In September 2022, Belfield was found guilty of ‘simple stalking’ charges against Mr Vine, and theatre blogger Philip Dehany.
He was found not guilty of stalking in relation to Green, Hirst, Thomas and Breen however, he was given an indefinite restraining order.
Jurors convicted Belfield of four charges committed between 2012 and 2021.
He was found guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress to former BBC Radio Northampton DJ Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis.
The BBC did pay for counselling for Ms Green and launched Operation Blackbird to stop Belfield’s abuse – however, it did not want to open an independent investigation and instead opted for an internal review.
Belfield will be released on June 25 and even has his own website with a countdown clock ticking down the seconds until he gets out of jail.
Femail has contacted the BBC for comment.
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