BBC told "sexual assault and abuse in the music industry is endemic"

A segment on the 18 December episode by reporter Jean Mackenzie has looked into sexual abuse in the music industry, investigating the issue for months and speaking with four women on camera. Three of those have waived their right to anonymity, including singer/songwriter Chloe Howl.

"I did have somebody come on to me in pretty strong way," Howl tells Mackenzie. "He was a lot older than me and we were meant to be professionally working together. He would drop me off at my hotel, and then text me to say, 'Why didn't you invite me in?'... I remember one night he grabbed my bum and said something along the lines of, 'I feel like we'd have really good times in the sack.'"

"I know girls who've been raped," Howl continues. "It's always a man in power and a girl on the rise who needs as much support as possible, whose career hasn't started yet... I know that there are men who are getting away with it. They are given this untouchable power."

"You'd be hard pressed to find a woman working in the industry today who's never been a victim of sexual harassment or abuse," says Lajoie, who has been collecting experiences from others in the industry after being inspired by the #MeToo movement. "I expected stories of sexual harassment… but what I've actually received are stories of rape happening on company property, men insisting on oral sex from young women, men seriously assaulting women, raping them in apartments owned by major music companies... I thought I was a hangover of the '80s and '90s, but it's very clear that this behaviour is still going on and young women are being sexually assaulted, still, today."

"Sexual assault and abuse in the music industry is endemic," Lajoie adds. "I am angry, and things need to change. There are so many amazing careers, it would be great to be able to encourage women to enter the industry without fear of assault, harassment, and rape."

This report comes shortly after open letters from the Swedish and Australian music industries condemning sexual harassment and calling for change.