Know all details about the reason behind the suspension of James Tooley who is married to age 42 wife Cynthia Tooley
Professor James Tooley, Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, has been suspended amidst allegations of misconduct and an extramarital affair, brought to light by his estranged Nigerian wife, Cynthia Tooley. Cynthia, a Nigerian entrepreneur, reportedly submitted diaries belonging to a 25-year-old Indian woman from Hyderabad, detailing an alleged relationship with the British academic, to university authorities.
Who is Cynthia Tooley, MBE, wife of Professor James Tooley Buckingham University VC who had an affair with a Hyderabad woman, bio, age, family and children
Age 42 Cynthia is a food judge on Great Chocolate Showdown Food Network (Canada), ITV (UK), The CW (USA) Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Channel 4 in the UK, and an expert contributor on Sweetmakers BBC2’s 4 part series. She has been invited on BBC Breakfast, BBC’s One Show, BBC4 Saturday Live and many other radio programs.
Cynthia, who previously resided with Professor Tooley at Ondaatje Hall, the Vice Chancellor’s official residence, has since moved out. Unsurprisingly, the controversy has garnered significant media attention, fueled by the couple’s high-profile roles and the public nature of their fallout.
In her capacity as a business owner/director, Cynthia has been a preferred supplier to the BRIT Awards, Queen Charlotte’s Ball Kensington Palace, and London Clothes Show and has won several awards for her business and individually as an entrepreneur.
Her cake business became very valuable as well as hugely profitable, with 8 staff and 2 locations and attracting clients from all over the UK, and some as far as Spain, France and Ireland.
Cynthia is also an experienced mentor, mentoring both at secondary school, tertiary level as well as business owners and currently coaches business owners across India, Canada and UK to upscale their businesses. She also informally coaches young ladies at University of Buckingham where her husband is the Vice Chancellor.:
Cynthia is a first generation immigrant originally from Nigeria and arrived in the UK aged 21 to study her postgraduate degree and has 2 bi-racial children. Cynthia is proud to call the UK home and has been honoured twice by the British Royal Family, once by the Late Queen Elizabeth II receiving a BEM, and recently by King Charles III as an MBE for services to Business, Mentoring & Charity. She has two children with her husband, age 65 Professor James.
She first visited London in England on a holiday in 1999 and after he first degree in Microbiology, she moved to England in 2004 aged 21 to pursue an MBA at the University of Buckingham.
I started baking full time after I went on maternity leave in 2009 because I was reluctant to leave my newborn son. The target at the time was to make one wedding cake a month. The business soon took on a life of its own, 2 shops and a team of bakers later, we were making over 80 wedding cakes a month.
Cynthia Tooley, a Nigerian entrepreneur, has been at the center of the suspension of Professor James Tooley, Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham. Tooley was suspended from his £229,000-a-year role in October due to allegations of a romantic involvement with a… pic.twitter.com/Agdo2ZsRdV
— NewsHub (@NewsHub2023) December 6, 2024
Who is James Tooley?
The allegations, which Professor Tooley denies, led to his suspension in October from his £229,000-a-year role and the initiation of an independent inquiry, as reported by UK’s Daily Mail. Notably, the couple’s relationship, which began with a whirlwind romance and culminated in marriage in February 2022, reportedly unraveled over the summer, leading to their separation and subsequent legal communication.
Cynthia’s report to the university on October 11 sparked an emergency meeting and subsequent suspension of Professor Tooley. In a related incident, she also accused him of possessing a “suspicious object” at his official residence, prompting police intervention. A junior air rifle was removed from the property, though no further investigation ensued.
Meanwhile, the Indian woman at the center of the controversy defended Professor Tooley, describing him as kind and respectful, while asserting that their relationship, which began when she was 25, involved no illegal conduct. University authorities confirmed the suspension in a letter to students, citing “serious allegations” and assuring that the ongoing independent inquiry would determine the veracity of the claims.
Professor Tooley, through his lawyers, dismissed the allegations as “baseless and malicious,” expressing confidence in his eventual exoneration. In light of the suspension, the university has appointed an interim leadership team, including Chief Financial Officer David Cole, Chief Administrative Officer Chris Payne, and Pro Vice-Chancellor Harriet Dunbar-Morris, to manage operations.