Tim Davie has sensationally resigned as director-general of the BBC after a number of allegations of bias against the broadcaster.
In a surprise announcement on Sunday evening, Mr Davie said he had to take “ultimate responsibility” for “some mistakes” that had been made at the corporation during his five-year tenure in the role.
The chief executive of BBC News, Deborah Turness, also announced her resignation. It follows a difficult week for the broadcaster, which had been accused of selectively editing a speech made by Donald Trump on the day of the US Capitol attack in an edition of Panorama.
Mr Davie said his departure will not be immediate and that he is “working through” timings to ensure an “orderly transition” over the coming months, while Ms Turness said in her statement that the controversy around the Panorama edit had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love”.
The loss of two such high-profile figures comes at a crunch time for the BBC, as it faces significant funding challenges and intense competition for audiences from online streaming giants, such as Netflix.
The BBC had been expected to apologise on Monday following concerns about impartiality after a leaked memo from Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee.
He raised concerns in the summer about the way the way clips of the US president’s speech on 6 January 2021 were spliced together in Trump: A Second Chance? to make it appear that he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.
The documentary was broadcast by the BBC the week before last year’s US election, which critics have said was misleading and removed a section where the US president said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
In a post on Truth Social, US president Donald Trump welcomed Mr Davie’s resignation and lambasted the “very dishonest” people at the BBC. Meanwhile, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, appeared to mock the corporation.
Mr Davie sent a statement to staff confirming his departure from the corporation after 20 years, adding: “This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the chair and board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days.
“I am working through exact timings with the board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.
“I have been reflecting on the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times, combined with the fact that I want to give a successor time to help shape the charter plans they will be delivering.
“In these increasingly polarised times, the BBC is of unique value and speaks to the very best of us.
“It helps make the UK a special place; overwhelmingly kind, tolerant and curious.
“Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.
“While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.
“Overall, the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
Ms Turness, who has been in the role since 2022, said that she had offered her resignation to Mr Davie on Saturday night adding that despite the “controversy” around the Panorama edit, the allegations that BBC News is “institutionally biased are wrong”.
In a message sent to staff, she said: “I have taken the difficult decision that it will no longer be my role to lead you in the collective vision that we all have: to pursue the truth with no agenda.
“The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love.
“As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me – and I took the decision to offer my resignation to the director-general last night.
“In public life, leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down. While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.
“In a polarised world, BBC News journalism is more vital than ever, and I could not be prouder of the work that you do. Together we have bucked the global trend, to grow trust in BBC News, and I want to thank you, wherever you are in the world, for your courageous work to deliver that.”
The BBC has been criticised for a number of failings in recent months, which include breaching its own accuracy editorial guidelines, livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan Glastonbury set and misconduct allegations surrounding the former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Mr Davie for his “service to public service broadcasting” and for leading the BBC through a period of “significant change”.
She added: “The BBC is one of our most important national institutions.
“Every day, it tells the story of who we are – the people, places and communities that make up life across the UK.
“Now more than ever, the need for trusted news and high-quality programming is essential to our democratic and cultural life, and our place in the world.
“As a Government, we will support the board as it manages this transition and we will ensure that the charter review is the catalyst that helps the BBC to adapt to this new era and secures its role at the heart of national life for decades to come.”
Earlier on Sunday, Ms Nandy told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme she was “confident” BBC bosses were treating allegations of bias with “the seriousness that this demands”.
BBC chairman Samir Shah said it was a “sad day” for the BBC, adding that Mr Davie had been an “outstanding director-general” who had “propelled the BBC forward with determination, single-mindedness and foresight”.
Mr Shah continued: “He has had the full support of me and the board throughout.
“However, I understand the continued pressure on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this decision today.
“The whole board respects the decision and the reasons for it.
“Tim has given 20 years of his life to the BBC.
“He is a devoted and inspirational leader and an absolute believer in the BBC and public service broadcasting.
“He has achieved a great deal. Foremost, under his tenure, the transformation of the BBC to meet the challenges in a world of unprecedented change and competition is well underway.”
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