DJ ‘Rob Da Bank’ sued over £650,000 festival loan

‘I never signed up’

THE organiser of a major music festival is being sued for more than £650,000 after being accused of failing to repay massive loans he took out to prop up the event.

Former Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank – real name Robert Gorham – founded the annual Bestival in 2004 and it featured stars including Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder and Elton John.

But a court heard it was ‘not well-managed’ and had faced repeated cash crises. The business eventually collapsed when the 2019 festival was axed.

Mr Gorham is being sued by ticket seller TicketLine Network Ltd, which says he is refusing to pay back an outstanding £650,000 from two loans totalling around £1million. It says it loaned the money directly to Mr Gorham and co-director John Hughes because it was not confident its money was safe with the Bestival company. Mr Hughes has accepted the loans have to be repaid – but Mr Gorham is fighting the claim at Central London County Court.

Mr Gorham told Judge Alan Johns QC: ‘Finance and accounting was not my department. I never signed up for a personal loan.’ The case continues.