TOP columnist Nick Cohen is being alleged to have received a confidential “big cash payment” in return for stepping down amid a hushed-up probe into allegations of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times.

The US paper took an interest in the case after seven women reportedly accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Most British press have steered clear of the story, but we will be going into more detail of who Cohen is …

Who is Nick Cohen?

Cohen started his career at the Sutton Coldfield News, before moving to the Birmingham Post. He then later became a contributor to The Independent and The Observer in 1996.

He established himself as a prominent author and columnist thereafter, writing regularly for The Spectator and The Observer, among others.

That changed after his weekly column in the Observer was paused amid an independent investigation into his conduct, as The National reported in August 2022.

The Press Gazette also reported that allegations against Cohen had been made public by the barrister Jolyon Maugham.

They also said that a direct complaint had been made by the journalist Lucy Siegle, which she accused Guardian News and Media (GNM) of mishandling.

In December 2022, he began publishing on Substack, where he writes about “politics and culture from the UK and beyond”.

In January 2023, the Press Gazette then reported that he had resigned from The Observer on "health grounds", before the current further allegations came to light.