Terry Duddy thought he was starting an exciting new chapter when he became chair of BBC Children in Need on October 21. The 69-year-old had an impressive background running big companies like Argos, so the charity job seemed like a natural fit. But just three weeks later, he had to quit because of something that happened months before he even got hired.
According to The Sun, Duddy was driving his black BMW through the village of Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire when he hit a cyclist. On November 13, a court found him guilty of causing serious injury by careless driving. The judge gave him an eight-month jail sentence but suspended it for 18 months. He also has to do 200 hours of community service, pay $340 in legal fees, and can’t drive for 18 months.
Police released security camera footage of the crash, and it’s pretty bad. The video shows Duddy trying to turn right across traffic when he slammed into a woman in her 50s who was riding her bike. She had the right of way, but Duddy didn’t see her coming. The impact sent her flying through the air before she crashed onto the road. Other cyclists and people walking nearby ran over to help her.
The woman’s life changed forever that day
The cyclist ended up with serious injuries that still affect her today. Police said Duddy simply didn’t check properly before turning, and that one careless mistake changed someone’s life forever. The woman, who is in her 50s, had every right to be there and wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Duddy told the charity about his conviction on Tuesday, November 18. He knew he couldn’t stay in the job after what happened, so he quit. The board agreed with his decision right away. They brought in James Fairclough to replace him. Fairclough has been working with the charity as a trustee since 2021, so he already knows how things work.
BBC children in Need chairman resigns after hitting cyclist with his car in latest blow for broadcasterhttps://t.co/E75FfZ3RTA
— GB News (@GBNEWS) November 19, 2025
Here’s the weird part: the charity says they had no idea about the court case when they hired Duddy. But he must have known his court date was coming up when he took the job.
He was supposed to help find a new boss for the whole organization, but now that’s someone else’s problem. Like security footage that captured a tourist running from an unseen threat, CCTV cameras keep recording what really happens even when people don’t want them to.
This whole mess is just one more problem for the BBC lately. Earlier this month, two other top BBC bosses quit after people got angry about a documentary that made Donald Trump look worse than he actually was. They edited his speech to change what he said, and everyone got mad about it. The BBC has been dealing with one scandal after another.
Duddy doesn’t just work for Children in Need. He’s also the chair of a charity called Catch22 and runs London Marathon Events. A spokesperson for Catch22 said they’re trying to figure out what to do about him now. In another case where security footage revealed unexpected details about someone being chased, video cameras proved really important in showing what actually went down.
