After 20 years at the BBC, and five in the top job, Tim Davie has resigned as director general of the corporation following accusations of presiding over “serious and systemic” bias in the broadcaster’s coverage.
His resignation – along with that of the BBC’s chief executive of news, Deborah Turness – comes as the BBC is set to apologise amid criticism of an edited clip of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary.
Mr Davie, the BBC’s 17th director general, succeeded Lord Tony Hall in September 2020, immediately contending with a turbulent period of political upheaval and the BBC’s role in the fraught media landscape, ongoing rows over the licence fee, increasing competition from streaming services, as well as internal problems, including gender pay issues.
In his resignation statement, Mr Davie accepted that “there have been some mistakes” during his time in the role, which has been a period marked by several high-profile controversies.
As BBC chair Samir Shah apologises for the corporation’s handling of the Trump documentary, we take a look at some of the other key scandals the BBC has been embroiled in during Mr Davie’s leadership.
Princess Diana interview with Martin Bashir
In 1995, a Panorama investigation and interview by journalist Martin Bashir led to Princess Diana making the admission: “There were three of us in this marriage.” The statement confirmed Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles and led Queen Elizabeth to issue letters advising the couple to divorce.
But 25 years later, a three-part Panorama special in 2020 sparked a BBC investigation and a public inquiry, as serious concerns were raised about the ethics of the interview. Mr Bashir admitted to falsifying bank statements in a bid to put pressure on the family to take part in the broadcast, which was watched by 23 million people at the time. It was condemned by Prince William and Prince Harry, with the latter saying the “ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life”.
In 2020, Mr Davie said it was “a big mistake” for the corporation to have rehired Mr Bashir in 2016.
Huw Edwards conviction
In July 2023, veteran newsreader Huw Edwards, who had long been regarded as one of the BBC’s most trusted faces, was suspended after allegations surfaced about inappropriate communications with young men on social media.
The scandal deepened when Edwards was later prosecuted for possessing indecent images of children, ending his career in disgrace and shocking audiences who had come to recognise him as the face of major national broadcasts.
Mr Davie ordered a workplace culture review in response, acknowledging that the scandal highlighted failings in oversight under his leadership.
Gregg Wallace allegations
In November 2024, MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace became the subject of internal investigations after allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour toward staff.
A months-long misconduct investigation upheld 45 allegations, including claims of unwelcome physical contact and inappropriate sexual language. In response, the BBC admitted that “opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef” and the broadcaster itself.
Reports suggested Wallace’s conduct created a difficult working environment and the furore sparked fierce national debate about how the BBC handled complaints against presenters.
Davie faced questions in Parliament about accountability and insisted, “no one’s irreplaceable, we’re all dispensable”.
Gary Lineker rows
Over the years, BBC presenters have been forced to tread carefully to avoid falling foul of the corporation’s impartiality rules. Former England footballer and host of the corporation’s flagship football programme, Match of the Day, Gary Lineker, had long tested the boundaries as he commented on politics and current affairs on social media.
In 2023, the BBC first took serious action against Lineker after he likened language used by home secretary Suella Braverman in unveiling a new asylum policy to rhetoric from 1930s Germany. Lineker was suspended from presenting duties, leading to an infamous silent episode of Match of the Day after co-hosts and commentators announced they would not be taking part either in a show of solidarity.
But things came to a head in May 2025, when days after Lineker said anyone who was silent on the war in Gaza was “almost complicit” and called Israel’s actions “depraved”, he shared a pro-Palestine social media post. The post included an image of a rat, which Lineker said he was not aware of, and he apologised. Rats have been used to represent antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
“The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone,” Mr Davie said at the time. “And when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.”
Mr Lineker ended up leaving the BBC earlier than planned after his 26 years with the corporation.
Gaza documentaries
In February 2025, the BBC faced intense criticism over its documentary Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, when it emerged the programme’s 13‑year‑old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The revelation raised questions about editorial standards and impartiality, with critics accusing the broadcaster of failing to properly vet contributors and of presenting biased coverage of the conflict.
Davie admitted the programme contained “serious flaws” and pulled it from iPlayer, saying he had “lost trust” in the film.
The fallout impacted the airing of another documentary about the war, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which the BBC ultimately ended up shelving, despite a petition by over 600 prominent actors and filmmakers to air it, with Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and comedian Frankie Boyle among the signatories. The film ended up being shown on Channel 4.
“I think we made the right decision,” Davie told MPs, who asked him if he’d been “over cautious” in not airing it.
Bob Vylan at Glastonbury
Following frustrations over the BBC’s handling of the two Gaza documentaries, a decision not to pull a live broadcast of punk duo Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set seemed almost unbelievable. The band led chants of “death to the IDF” during their performance. Critics, including MPs and community groups, condemned the broadcast as antisemitic and accused the BBC of amplifying hate speech.
Davie later admitted airing the band’s set was a “significant mistake” and described the performance as “deeply disturbing”.
Panorama editing of Trump’s Capitol speech
The most damaging scandal of all came when a Panorama documentary edited together sections of Donald Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech, making it appear he had urged supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell”.
The corporation was accused of misleading viewers by selectively editing the speech, with spliced footage taken from sections of the speech almost an hour apart, and also omitting a section where the outgoing president told the crowd “to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard”, following Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
The White House branded the broadcaster “corrupt” and a “propaganda machine” and said the documentary, which aired a week before the US presidential election last year, had been an attempt to “step on the scales of a presidential election”.
The fallout proved fatal for Davie’s tenure. He admitted “mistakes” had been made and resigned, saying he had to take “ultimate responsibility”.
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