Tim Davie has resigned as the BBC’s director general following a week of criticism directed at the national broadcaster.
News CEO Deborah Turness is also leaving her post.
The broadcaster was accused of doctoring a speech by Donald Trump shown in a Panorama documentary to make the president appear as if he had incited violence.
It has also faced sustained criticism for its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict as well as on trans issues.
Mr Davie admitted that there had been ‘mistakes’ under his leadership and said his decision to step aside was due to the ‘current debate’ around the role of the BBC.
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But he added that the broadcaster needed to remain ‘open, transparent and accountable’ and insisted the BBC was ‘delivering well’.
He said: ‘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.’
Mr Davie originally joined the broadcaster as Director of Marketing, Communications and Audiences in 2005.
He took over as director-general in September 2020.
The former Conservative member was given the nickname ‘Teflon Tim’ for his ability to ride out successive scandals.
During his tenure, Mr Davie has navigated high profile controversies relating to several of the BBC’s most recognisable stars, from Huw Edwards to Gary Lineker.
He has also overseen continued pressure over the broadcaster’s stances on trans issues and antisemitism.
BBC chairman Samir Shah has said it ‘is a sad day for the BBC’ following Tim Davie’s resignation.
He said: ‘Tim has been an outstanding director-general for the last five years. He has propelled the BBC forward with determination, single-mindedness and foresight.
‘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 under way.
‘Personally, I will miss his stamina, good humour and resilience and I will miss working with him. I wish him and his family the very best for the future.
‘This is an important time for the corporation and the board and I will continue to work with Tim in the interim while we conduct the process to appoint his successor.’
Ms Turness joined the BBC in 2022 after a stint as CEO for ITN. She was previously the youngest and first female editor of ITV News.
Announcing her resignation, she admitted that mistakes on the Panorama programme had reached the stage where it was ‘causing damage’ to the BBC.
She said: ‘The buck stops with me.
‘While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.’
Top 5 BBC controversies under Tim Davie
During his five-year tenure, Tim Davie faced multiple scandals and controversies, ranging from the behaviour of individual stars to the broadcaster’s perceived bias in its Gaza coverage.
Gaza and Bob Vylan
The BBC has faced constant pressure over its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
It was forced to make an on-air apology for its content for the first time since 2009 after Ofcom ruled it committed a ‘serious breach’ of broadcasting rules in its documentary, How to Survive a Warzone.
The programme attracted criticism after its teenage narrator was revealed to be the son of a Hamas official.
In May, the BBC also came under pressure for not pulling the plug on Bob Vylan’s concert at the Glastonbury Festival, during which a member of the music act led a ‘death to the IDF’ chant.
Huw Edwards
Amongst the largest scandals handled by Mr Davie was that concerning star news anchor Huw Edwards, who was revealed to have paid a teenager more than £35,000 for explicit images.
Edwards was convicted for making indecent images of children. However the broadcaster received criticism for not taking him off air sooner, as Edwards continued to draw his salary even following his arrest.
Gregg Wallace
The BBC was further rocked when another household name, Gregg Wallace, was forced to step back from presenting after 13 individuals accused him of making inappropriate comments.
An independent investigation found that the MasterChef presenter had made a series ‘culturally insensitive’ and ‘sexual’ remarks, with the BBC confirming in July it would no longer work with him.
In his response, Wallace blamed the BBC for failing to accommodate his neurodiversity and ‘peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip’.
Strictly Come Dancing welfare allegations
Another source of grievance came from former contestants of the broadcaster’s flagship Saturday night show, Strictly Come Dancing.
The floodgates opened after Amanda Abbington went public in January 2024 about her professional partner, Giovanni Pernice’s training methods.
Complaints were also brought against Graziano Di Prima who was said to have reduced his 2023 partner Zara McDermott to tears during training. Both professionals were since dropped from the show.
Another 2023 contestant, Wynne Evans, became embroiled in a scandal due to alleged sexualised remarks about professional dancers.
Trump Capitol Speech Panorama
Earlier this week the BBC came under renewed pressure after it transpired that it had spliced two comments in a Trump speech given in January 2021 made 50 minutes apart, making it appear as one continuous incitement of violence.
The latest scandal came to light following the revelation of an internal memo in the Telegraph.
Among critics calling for Mr Davie’s resignation were former PM Boris Johnson, who wrote he would withhold his licence fee until someone at the BBC ‘took responsibility’.
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