Motor racing commentator sacked after complaints of inappropriate behaviour

A commentator on the hit Netflix show Formula 1: Drive to Survive has been sacked from his job with a rival racing championship after complaints of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Jack Nicholls, who also provides Formula One coverage for the BBC, lost his job working for the Formula E championship after an external investigation by an employment specialist.

A spokesperson for the electric racing championship said: “Formula E can confirm that an investigation was carried out in response to complaints of inappropriate behaviour received about Jack Nicholls. Following this investigation, Jack Nicholls’s contract to provide race commentary was terminated.”

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Nicholls said: “Although disappointed with the decision, I respect it and accept why it was taken. I want to take full responsibility for what I did and apologise unreservedly for a couple of isolated incidents that has made those concerned feel uncomfortable. I never meant any harm and I am committed to making amends and to be more mindful of my behaviour in future.”

Sources with knowledge of the investigation said it was launched after a formal complaint in March and uncovered allegations of inappropriate touching made by three individuals, one of whom had been in a relationship with Nicholls. During the inquiry Nicholls was not allowed to travel to Formula E circuits around the world, instead providing his commentary on races remotely from a base in London.

Nicholls was sacked last week after the external employment specialist reported its findings to Formula E bosses. The commentator has been heavily involved in the electric racing series since it was launched in 2014 and his voice has been heard around the world on coverage of the sport.

Nicholls’s departure was confirmed before this weekend’s race weekend in Jakarta, although Formula E did not initially explain why he had departed the competition at short notice. He has been replaced by the veteran commentator Ben Edwards for the remaining seven races of the season.

As well as working for Formula E, Nicholls has covered every Formula One race since 2016 for BBC Radio 5 Live. This commentary has regularly featured in Drive to Survive, which has introduced Formula One to a new, younger audience and made Nicholls’s voice recognisable to millions of people around the world.

Although Nicholls has not been investigated by the BBC, he stepped aside from its coverage of last weekend’s Formula One Monaco Grand Prix as a result of Formula E’s findings. The BBC contracts out its Formula One coverage to the production company IMG, which continues to employ Nicholls.