Dan Walker posts cryptic message about ‘winning’ and ‘being kind’ after serious misconduct probe is dismissed
DAN Walker told his followers “be kind” after his serious misconduct probe was dismissed by Channel 5.
A HR-led probe found the former Strictly Come Dancing star, a committed Christian, had done nothing wrong.
In the midst of public interest over the investigation, Dan, 47, told his followers: “When you win, be kind.
“When you are upset, be kind. When you are ignored, be kind.
“When you are in doubt, be kind. When you are disappointed, be kind. Always be kind. Even if no one is looking.”
The dad of three left BBC Breakfast in April 2022 after six years to join Channel 5 News,
On Tuesday Dan addressed a potential return his former show after being cleared of serious misconduct allegations.
And he appeared to take a swipe at the BBC programme.
The presenter laughed when a fan suggested he could ‘go back’ to his former morning show.
During a Q&A, he replied with a picture of himself holding the Strictly glitterball trophy with former BBC colleague Sally Nugent.
Dan wrote over the top: “I miss my friends but… No,” followed by a laughing face emoji.
The TV anchor recently told viewers how difficult life was on breakfast telly.
He revealed he was reduced to tears due to sleep deprivation.
Dan, who hosted the iconic red sofa alongside Louise Minchin and then Sally, used to set his alarms for 3am to be on air for six every day.
And he revealed the gruelling side affects of the early alarm.
Speaking about his time on BBC Breakfast, Dan said the early starts and lack of sleep left him emotional.
He told ITV’s This Morning: “By Wednesday I was, like, full zombie mode. And also you get really emotional.
“By Wednesday I was like, end of the show, you are like, in the toilets just crying.
“Anything sets you off. Someone says something nice about your trousers and you are like, (fake cries).”
When Josie Gibson asked him about crying in the toilets at the Beeb, Dan clarified that it ‘wasn’t every day’.
He added: “When you are sleep deprived you get a little bit emotional.”
Lack of evidence
The Channel 5 news anchor was the centre of a multi-pronged complaint which led network bosses to bring in investigators.
An investigator said of the claims: “There is a lack of evidence to support allegations.”
An industry source said: “This row has sent shockwaves round Channel 5 and ITN.
“Dan is a hugely popular figure and is really well-respected.
“He was devastated and totally stunned to be dragged into this.
“Dan knew about the complaint last year, but he was initially told all the claims related to events before he joined Channel 5.
“This really shocked him — and he just couldn’t understand it.
“But he co-operated with the investigation and was totally open and transparent because he had nothing to hide — and was later relieved but not surprised to be totally exonerated.
“Everything was done by the book and they brought in an external team to ensure the probe’s independence.”
A Channel 5 spokesman said: “ITN commissioned an independent external expert to investigate these allegations but none were upheld.”
A spokesman for ITN said: “We take such claims incredibly seriously. To ensure fairness and impartiality, we appointed an independent external consultant and they have concluded their investigation.
“Given our ongoing duty of care, we won’t be commenting further.”