BBC presenter reveals she had to work during cancer treatment after being moved to freelance contract

The BBC presenter Kirsty Lang has revealed that she had to work throughout her breast cancer treatment because the corporation forced her to move to a freelance contract without sick pay.

Ms Lang said that after being made to enter into a freelance arrangement in 2013, she had to “work the whole way through” her radiotherapy treatment or she would stop receiving an income.

Giving evidence alongside colleagues to the Commons culture committee, the Front Row presenter said that the arrangement meant that she was unable to take bereavement leave when her stepdaughter died, adding that she had to host a show before her funeral.

Meanwhile, Liz Kershaw, the UK’s second longest-serving radio DJ, revealed she had worked for six months without pay or a contract after she refused to accept changes to her employment status.

It comes after a number of TV and radio stars from the corporation presented a dossier of evidence to MPs, which alleges that they were pressured into forming personal service companies (PSC) by the corporation.

The companies, several of which are now being probed by HM Revenue & Customs, allowed the BBC to avoid paying national insurance, sick pay, holiday entitlement and pensions contributions.

Ms Lang, who moved to the corporation in 2002 after being head hunted, said that she felt “betrayed” by them, adding that she “didn’t really have much choice” but to accept the terms offered to her.

“They said that in that case, you need to leave your staff job, because if you're just doing a Radio 4 presenter’s job that’s freelance, because they’re all freelance,” she continued.

“I certainly didn’t say to myself, oh great, this is a way to avoid paying tax. In fact I was quite frightened, I was frightened of getting sick, and I was worried about the pension.

“Sure enough all my worst fears came true. Not long after I went freelance my stepdaughter died suddenly. I was unable to take bereavement leave, in fact I had to go back and do a show before her funeral because I had to get some money in.

“Then two years after that I was diagnosed with cancer. I had radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, I worked the whole way through. I took one month off after chemo actually.”

After entering into a personal services arrangement for several years, Ms Lang said she was told she would need to go back on a staff contract last year, when HMRC began probing the corporation’s pay structures.

However, she claims she was told that she would still not be entitled to sick pay or holiday pay, despite having only finished her cancer treatment four months beforehand.

“My first response was to write and ask if I was going to get sick pay - I was only four months into finishing chemotherapy so I was thinking, well you know OK PAYE... but now I am going to be employed. 

“[They said] 'no you wont get any sick pay or holiday pay'."

Echoing her comments, Liz Kershaw, the BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, said her contract was allowed to expire in March 2012 when she refused to sign up to a new PSC arrangement.

However, she was allowed to continue to present her show for six months after her contract expired, and only received payment several months later when she invoiced the Radio 2 controller.

“I just came in doing my show and nobody seemed to notice,” she continued. “I turned up, because the people on the shop floor didn’t know what was going on.

“I closed down the company and sent an invoice for a five-figure sum to the controller at Radio 2 music.

“I said: ‘That’s what you owe me since March’. At that point the legal affairs department was brought in, and at that point I was given a sole trader, freelance contract. I got a nice cheque.”

BBC senior management refused to take part in Tuesday’s committee hearing, meaning that MPs were only able to question presenters affected by the arrangements.

The allegations come after dozens of presenters working for the corporation were informed that they owed thousands of pounds in unpaid tax, some dating back several years.

Ahead of the committee hearing, a local radio presenter who wished to remain anonymous, said she had tried to commit suicide due to the stress caused by the pay arrangements.

Damian Collins, chairman of the culture committee, said the BBC had fallen “well below” the standards expected of it, and added he would be seeking answers from director-general Lord Hall.