Tim Westwood
johnantoni from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The UK music world has been left reeling after former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood was charged with multiple sexual offences.

The charges, confirmed by the Metropolitan Police, span several decades and involve seven different women. The news marks a devastating and dramatic downfall for the 68-year-old DJ, who was once one of the most recognisable and influential voices in British urban music.

Westwood, who enjoyed a decades-long career at the BBC, is now facing a total of seven sexual offence charges. The charges allege offenses committed between 1983 and 2016.

The Charges: Four Counts of Rape

The seriousness of the allegations is highlighted by the specific charges levied against the former Radio 1 star.

  • Westwood, 68, has been charged with four counts of rape.
  • He faces charges related to sexual offences against seven women.
  • The charges cover a staggering 33-year period in the UK, from 1983 to 2016.

The nature and scope of these allegations, covering such a long span of time and multiple victims, have intensified the shockwaves across the entertainment industry.

Allegations Spanning Three Decades: The Court Case

Westwood, 68, of Westminster, is set to face court for the first time next month, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announcing that he faces a total of 15 charges.

The CPS statement confirmed the charges: "The CPS has today announced Tim Westwood has been charged with rape and sexual offences". These charges relate to reported non-recent offences between 1983 and 2016, involving seven women. The total charges are broken down as follows:

  • Four counts of rape.
  • Nine counts of indecent assault.
  • Two counts of sexual assault.

The allegations involve 17-year-old girls and women in their late teens and early 20s. Westwood will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 11 November 2025.

The Metropolitan Police detailed several of the allegations, which occurred across different locations and years:

  • 1983: Indecently assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Fulham.
  • 1986: Sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in Vauxhall, south London.
  • Mid-90s: Raping and sexually assaulting a teenager aged 17-18 in central London.
  • 2000-2001: Raping and sexually assaulting another teen of the same age.
  • 2010: Raping a woman in her 20s in London, and sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in Stroud.
  • 2016: Sexually assaulting another woman in her 20s in Finchley, north London.

The hip-hop DJ has previously strongly denied 'all allegations of inappropriate behaviour' and wrongdoing.

The Fall of an Influential Radio Icon

Tim Westwood's career stretched across the rise of hip-hop and grime in Britain, cementing him as a major cultural figure in the urban music scene for decades.

  • Westwood gained prominence as a major personality at BBC Radio 1 and later hosted shows on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
  • The charges mark a significant and sudden end to his long-standing public career.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the charges, and the case will now proceed through the justice system.

Awaiting Trial: The Next Steps

The announcement by the Metropolitan Police, which was made on Thursday, 9 October 2025, confirmed that the disgraced figure has been formally charged. The charges must now be heard in court, where the evidence against the former DJ will be presented.

The seriousness of the allegations—four counts of rape and three other sexual offences spanning more than three decades—will ensure this case remains one of the most high-profile trials in the British media and music landscape.

The charges against the 68-year-old former BBC Radio 1 DJ have thrown a dark shadow over a significant chapter of British music history.

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