Tim Westwood, the 68-year-old British DJ, who was instrumental in the global rise of Afrobeats, faces one of the most serious falls from grace in entertainment history. On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Westwood with 15 sexual offences involving seven women.
The charges—four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault—span an astonishing 33-year period from 1983 to 2016.
For nearly two decades, Tim Westwood was the voice that introduced countless Nigerian and African hip-hop artists to British and global audiences. His BBC Radio 1 Rap Show was a rite of passage for African musicians seeking international recognition.
The allegations paint a disturbing picture of predatory behaviour that allegedly persisted throughout Westwood’s rise to prominence:
- 1983: A 17-year-old girl was allegedly indecently assaulted in Fulham, London
- 1986: A woman in her 20s was allegedly indecently assaulted in Vauxhall, London
- 1995-1996: A female between 17-18 years old was allegedly raped and indecently assaulted in central London
- 2000-2001: Another female between 17-18 was allegedly raped and indecently assaulted in London
- 2010: Two separate women in their 20s were allegedly raped in London and sexually assaulted in Stroud
- 2016: A woman in her 20s was allegedly sexually assaulted in Finchley, London
Tim Westwood is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 10, 2025.
Tim Westwood built his career on the Hip-Hop legacy
For Nigerian artists who came of age in the 2000s and 2010s, Tim Westwood represented something significant—a white British DJ who genuinely championed Black music when mainstream UK radio largely ignored it. He was often the first major platform for Nigerian rappers, Afrobeats artists, and grime stars trying to break into the UK market.
Starting his career hosting hip-hop events at UK nightclubs and working at pirate radio stations, Westwood joined BBC Radio 1 in 1994, where his Rap Show became legendary. He later moved to digital station 1Xtra in 2007 before leaving the BBC in 2013. He also hosted the UK version of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” for three seasons.
He had featured several African artists, including D’banj, Wizkid, Davido, Iyanya, M.I., Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Sarkodie, and Show Dem Camp, on his show before he finally visited Nigeria in April 2014. Westwood spoke passionately about Nigerian music in an interview with ThisDay, comparing Afrobeats and hip-hop to church music in their emotional power. “I think Hip-hop and Afrobeat can do that to you, man—put you in a different world,” he said.
Timeline of accusations
The first public allegations against Westwood surfaced in 2020, but he denied them at the time. However, the dam truly broke in 2022 when The Guardian and the BBC launched a joint investigation that became the documentary “Tim Westwood: Abuse Of Power.”
The investigation revealed a pattern: Several women, many in their late teens or early 20s, came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. These were often young women navigating the music industry—aspiring artists, fans, or industry hopefuls—who found themselves vulnerable to someone with Westwood’s power and influence.
A spokesperson for Westwood has consistently denied all allegations, describing them as “entirely false.”
The entertainment industry, whether in Lagos, London, or Los Angeles, operates on access. A single interview with someone like Westwood could mean the difference between obscurity and breakthrough success for an aspiring Nigerian artist. That access creates leverage, and as we’ve seen in countless #MeToo revelations globally, leverage can be weaponised.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police acknowledged this reality: “It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature. The women who have done so have put their trust in us and we continue to provide them with all available support.”
In February 2025, months before these criminal charges were filed, the BBC Board issued an official apology, admitting it had “missed opportunities” to address Westwood’s alleged behaviour during his nearly two-decade tenure at the corporation.
The post Tim Westwood, British DJ who championed Nigerian Artistes in the UK, charged with rape and sexual Assault appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
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