Stephen Nolan is the most high-profile and by far best paid broadcaster in Northern Ireland, but he also has a deep relationship with the BBC via his independent production company, as the Irish News has revealed in some detail.
Over the course of a number of months, this publication has detailed his relationship with a leading book maker, how his company's funds far outstrip any other comparable production firm, hundreds of thousands in loans and the presenter's sending of sexually explicit images to work colleagues.
Mr Nolan is known as one of the broadcaster's highest salaried employees, earning approximately £400,000 a year for a demanding workload, presenting his daily show on Radio Ulster along with his Five Live role and fronting Nolan Live on television.
Read more: Stephen Nolan had outstanding loans from company totalling close to £900,000
His production company, Third Street Studios, had filed accounts for the 15-month period up to the end of March 2022 and they contain some intriguing details about the management of the company.
This includes its re-organisation as an employee ownership trust and the transfer of shares into a company entirely controlled by one of the north's leading bookmakers, Paul McLean.
Responding to The Irish News in July, Mr Nolan said he was "delighted" staff will be advised by "one of the most successful entrepreneurs" in Northern Ireland.
"There is now a chance for the company to grow , but it will be a hard journey and I’m 50 this year," he said.
"So the talented employees behind the scenes of Third St (present and future) will now have a real stake in the company through employee ownership and be on the journey themselves of growing the company with the exciting opportunities that we are lucky to have in play."
Third Street reported an average of three employees over the 15 month accounting period.
This was the last time Mr Nolan responded to The Irish News as the paper published a series of stories in connection with his company and later with his behaviour, including the sending of sexually explicit images of a now convicted sex offender and former reality television personality, Stephen Bear.
For its part, the BBC, while answering some questions in relation to the relationship between the broadcaster and its most influential and high profile presenter, would not be drawn on the connections with Third Street or the details around a bullying and harassment complaint made against Mr Nolan. In relation to the former, the BBC cited commercial confidentiality.
Third Street has made multiple programmes over its 10-year existence, including many fronted by Mr Nolan. There is no evidence of any significant income outside the BBC. The majority if not all were first commissioned via Broadcasting House in Belfast. It also emerged Third Street is now a co-producer of Nolan Live.
The production company listed on its website Ascot House in Shaftesbury Square as its address. However, this was changed to the same address as the company's accountants after The Irish News began began reporting.
Accounts for Third Street Studios reveal the company had cash in hand of £1.5m and was owed £2.4m at the end of March 2022. The company also had debts of £126,000. Mr Nolan, at the end of March 2022, had outstanding loans taken out of the company of close to £900,000.
Small companies do not have to file full accounts. They only have to list cash, credits and debits, along with the amount accrued, the total at the end of the accounting period. The more spent - on employees, outside contractors, other expenses - the less the amount in shareholder funds.
Third Street has accrued more funds than any other major local production, by many millions. None of the other production companies contacted wanted to comment.
Questions over just exactly what the relationship was, and is, between Mr Nolan, Third Street and the BBC in the north remain largely unanswered.
Following publication of the stories on Third Street, the Irish News partnered with Rodney Edwards, editor of the Impartial Reporter. Mr Edwards had documents and testimony from 10 people, including several who worked with Mr Nolan.
There were details of a bullying and harassment claim filed in 2018 and internal messages and documents giving a behind the scenes look at the operation of the Nolan Show and Nolan Live.
These included the sending of explicit images. Action was taken in connection with those images, according to the BBC. No details on the action were revealed.
Documents and messages reveal a wider sexualised atmosphere along with abuse of fellow BBC presenters.
On his radio show several days after the Irish News published the story, Mr Nolan went on his radio show and claimed the images were sent to a "long-term friend and peer outside of work".
In fact, they were sent to work colleagues, one of whom was offended by both messages while another replied in a follow up on the thread: "There's another one for the tribunal". There are other messages from Mr Nolan so offensive they cannot be published in any detail.