Earlier this year, unsubstantiated allegations were raised by several women against prominent New Zealand media blogger and founder of music site Cheese On Toast, Andrew Tidball.
[Story update, 14 April: New Zealand Police are now calling for anyone aware of the allegations to come forward. While radio station bFM has removed Tidball's Cheese On Toast show from its programming, 'effective immediately'.]
An in-depth article, titled 'I Will Come Forward', published today by The Spinoff has revisited these allegations of 'abusing' by Tidball towards women and girls as young as 12.
At the time of the initial allegations on social media, Tidball denied the “horrible allegations” via a statement he posted to Facebook on 21 January, 2016. The post is no longer available. But here is a screen shot of the post.
The Spinoff article details (via interviews with the women raising the allegations and their friends and family) how Tidball used his role at Cheese On Toast to approach young women keen to enter the music industry.
One of the women making the allegations took to Twitter in January in response to another user's tweets 'about a website run by an abuser to promote their music'. “Cheese On Toast / Andrew Tidball is a fucking disgrace,” the user wrote. “I’ve never talked about this publicly before,” the user added, “but it looks like he’s done it to other young girls and that makes me fucking angry.”
Tidball founded Cheese On Toast in 2003 and has established a strong voice within the New Zealand independent music scene.
The well-respected media identity has urged anyone wishing to make a complaint against him to seek police assistance. “I would urge those who are making the allegations to lodge a formal complaint with police with whom I would be happy to co-operate fully with in order that my name can be cleared."
