In an unprecedented move that signals a massive crisis for British public broadcaster, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness have both resigned.
The dual departures follow intense pressure and criticism that a recent Panorama documentary misled viewers by selectively editing a speech by Donald Trump related to the January 2021 Capitol Hill riot.
The resignations come after The Telegraph published a leaked internal BBC memo last week Monday. The memo alleged that the Panorama programme stitched together two parts of the former U.S. President’s speech—originally separated by more than 50 minutes, to make him appear to explicitly encourage the riot.
The core of the controversy centers on Trump’s speech in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. The full speech included the line: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” However, the Panorama edit reportedly showed him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
Announcing his resignation late Sunday evening, five-year veteran Tim Davie acknowledged the severe impact of the controversy.
“While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision,” Davie said. “Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
Turness, who served as CEO of News and Current Affairs for three years, issued a statement saying the controversy had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” adding, “The buck stops with me.” She denied that the resignations confirm institutional bias but stated leaders “need to be fully accountable.”
President Trump, who had previously described the corporation as “100% fake news,” welcomed the resignations. He claimed top people were quitting because they were caught “doctoring” his “very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th,” calling them “very dishonest people.”
While the Trump edit was the catalyst, the internal memo and the resignations come amid a “constant stream of crises” for the BBC. The leaked memo also expressed concerns about “systemic problems” of bias in BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and raised issues that coverage of trans issues was effectively “censored” by specialist reporters promoting a pro-trans agenda.
Separately, the BBC recently upheld 20 impartiality complaints over a presenter altering a script to refer to “pregnant people,” and faced criticism for failing to disclose the narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah called it a “sad day” but respected Davie’s decision due to the “continued pressure on him, personally and professionally.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the resignations but stated that the issues run “far deeper” and cannot be swept away by two departures. She argued the BBC should not expect public funding via the compulsory licence fee unless it demonstrates “true impartiality.” Other political leaders, including Sir Ed Davey (Liberal Democrats) and Nigel Farage (Reform UK), echoed calls for wholesale change and new leadership.
Davie said the timing of his “orderly transition” would allow the next director general to “positively shape” the next Royal Charter, which sets the BBC’s funding and regulatory duties and must be renegotiated by the end of 2027. The incoming leadership will face the immediate challenge of restoring public trust and addressing the systemic issues raised in the wake of the Trump documentary scandal.
