How scandals at the BBC have shaken its leadership over the years

LONDON (AP) — The BBC’s commander-in-chief and head of news have resigned over criticism of how the broadcaster edited US President Donald Trump’s speech before some of his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The scandal that led to Sunday’s resignations is not the first controversy to hit the publicly funded BBC – or to oust one of its leaders.

The BBC was founded editorially independent in 1922 to be impartial, to act in the public interest and to be open, transparent and accountable. Although it is widely respected for its global news operations and the entertainment and sports programs it produces, it is often the source of criticism for its coverage, and has also been caught up in off-air scandals.

Here’s a look at some of the controversies or scandals that forced some BBC leaders to resign:

Jimmy Savile scandal

November 2012: George Entwistle resigned as managing director over Newsnight’s decision not to publish a report that entertainer Jimmy Savile, one of the programme’s most famous presenters who had died the previous year, was a sexual abuser of young women. The broadcaster also incorrectly linked a prominent politician to child sexual abuse. Entwistle held the position for less than two months because he failed to explain lapses that damaged public confidence in the BBC.

Boris Johnson’s banker friend

April 2023: BBC chief Richard Sharp has resigned after a report revealed he failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan more than two years ago for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sharp, a former banker, was appointed to the BBC job on the government’s recommendation after weeks of helping arrange the credit line.

BBC Director General Tim Davie’s Watch

2021: Davy apologized after a report revealed that Martin Bashir used fake bank records to trick Princess Diana’s brother into giving him his sensational interview with her in 1995. Davy, who was not at the BBC at the time, offered a full and unconditional apology, along with written apologies to then-Prince Charles and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

July 2023: Hugh Edwards, the highest-paid news anchor, has been suspended with full pay over allegations he paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos. He later pleaded guilty and was given a suspended prison sentence for having images unrelated to child sexual abuse on his phone.

June 2025: The BBC has been condemned for broadcasting live a performance by punk rap duo Bob Phelan, who led crowds at this year’s Glastonbury festival chanting “Death” to the Israeli army. The BBC Complaints Unit later found that the broadcast breached editorial guidelines in relation to harm and insult, although it was cleared of breaching neutrality rules or potentially inciting or encouraging crime. Davey apologized, saying he was deeply sorry for broadcasting “such offensive and unfortunate behaviour”.

October 2025: Britain’s media regulator has imposed sanctions on the BBC over a “materially misleading” documentary about the lives of children in Gaza because it failed to disclose that the teenage narrator’s father held a position in the Hamas administration.

November 2025: BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Torres have resigned after the BBC’s Panorama documentary misleadingly incorporated parts of Trump’s speech which were delivered over the course of nearly an hour. It appears to be one of the quotes in which Trump urged his supporters to march with him and “fight like hell,” ignoring a section in which the president said he wanted his supporters to demonstrate peacefully.