Alex Belfield
Alex Belfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 January 1980 Nottingham, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupations |
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| Employer | BBC (former) |
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Alex Belfield (born 14 January 1980) is an former BBC radio personality, comedian, journalist and broadcaster. Belfield claimed online fame through his own website Celebrity Radio and then via YouTube, amassing a large listener audience for his views on current social issues.
Belfield presented a number of programmes for BBC local radio from 2008. In 2009 Belfield was given his own show on BBC Radio Jersey. In 2010 he presented the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Leeds; but was suspended for a day and his contract was not renewed. Belfield went on to create his online Celebrity Radio and The Voice of Reason on YouTube.
Belfield was convicted of cyber-stalking charges in September 2022. His YouTube channel remains live as of February 2023.
Career
Belfield's career began as an entertainer in Nottingham at the age of 14.[1] His career has spanned television, radio and print. He was responsible for stories on the front pages of The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express.[2] He worked at Mansfield 103.2 FM in the early 2000s.[3] Belfield presented a number of programmes for BBC local radio from 2008, including broadcasts on BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Humberside and BBC Radio Shropshire, where he was holiday relief for Matthew Carr. In 2009 Belfield was given his own show on BBC Radio Jersey. He presented the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Leeds. In 2010 he made lewd comments about weather presenter Keeley Donovan's broadcasts at home that resulted in complaints from listeners. As punishment, Belfield was suspended from the station for a day and strongly reprimanded by BBC bosses. He later described his time at Radio Leeds as "the worst year of my life".[2]
Belfield went on to claim online fame through both Celebrity Radio and his YouTube channel called The Voice of Reason.[2] He amassed a large listener audience for his views of current social issues, generally broadcasting from his home in Nottingham.
In a video on 22 March 2021 he said he had been living through hell for the past year and a half. He said that a witch-hunt against him had been orchestrated by the BBC in collusion with Nottinghamshire Police. He claimed he had been arrested four times and had had his house raided twice without a warrant.[2]
Stalking charges
On 18 June 2021 Belfield was summonsed to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court, where he was charged with 12 counts of stalking "involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress" on 1 July.[4] On 29 July he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court and was alleged to have stalked eight people between November 2012 and March 2021, including BBC staff members Stephanie Hirst and Jeremy Vine. He denied all charges and was released on conditional bail. He appeared at the Crown Court on 4 November for a case management hearing and stood trial on 4 July 2022.
Trial and conviction
Belfield was convicted in September 2022 for four of eight stalking charges at Nottingham Crown Court; two convictions were in line with the indictments on the charge sheet, two were on lesser charges. Ironically the two charges relating to BBC staff members Stephanie Hirst and Jeremy Vine were both found 'not guilty' in accordance with the original stalking indictment. Belfield was also found 'not guilty' to the lesser charge relating to Stephanie Hirst but guilty for the lesser charge relating to Jeremy Vine; the Vine charge attracted a custodial sentence of 13-weeks. Belfield was sentenced to a total five and a half years in prison as the judge decided to run all four of the imprisonment terms sequentially. Before sentencing Belfield "was allowed to deliver a closing statement deriding the case as a 'BBC and police witch-hunt' and describing himself as 'the No 1 anti-BBC journalist'. 'I am offensive... My human right allows me to speak words that are not to everyone's taste,' he told the jury."[5] The judge noted that while Belfield acknowledged the distress he caused the victims, he showed more concern during the proceedings about being treated unfairly and how the process impacted him (Belfield) personally.[6]
References
- ^ "Alex Belfield". BBC Radio Leeds. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d Nelson, Alex (22 March 2021). "Alex Belfield latest: who is the Voice of Reason YouTuber – and what he said on Twitter about the BBC and arrests". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Former Mansfield 103.2 presenter Alex Belfield summonsed to court on stalking allegations". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Alex Belfield summonsed in relation to stalking offence". RadioToday. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ Pidd, Helen (12 October 2022). "'I love you, and there's nothing you can do about it': will jail silence Jeremy Vine's stalker?". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Ex-BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield jailed for stalking Jeremy Vine and others". ITV News. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.