 "The many scandals that have marred BBC's reputation in recent years")
The resignations of the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, and its head of news, Deborah Turness, follow a series of recent scandals that have rocked the British broadcaster.
Criticism of the BBC has grown in particular over its news coverage following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war waged by Israel in Gaza, as well as its reporting on US President Donald Trump.
Here is a look back at the major incidents that have marked the BBC since Davie took the helm in 2020.
May 2021: Diana interview scandal resurfaces
An independent inquiry revealed that BBC journalist Martin Bashir used “deceptive” tactics to secure his infamous 1995 interview with Princess Diana.
According to the report, Bashir falsified bank documents to convince Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, that palace staff were spying on her – prompting an introduction that ultimately led to the interview.
The BBC apologised and also paid substantial damages to Patrick Jephson, Diana’s former private secretary, acknowledging the “serious harm” caused.
The report also criticised the BBC’s internal handling of the affair, reigniting concerns about editorial ethics.
July 2023: Prominent presenter crisis
Veteran news anchor and one of the BBC’s highest-profile presenters Huw Edwards was engulfed in scandal after allegations emerged that he paid a minor for explicit images.
The minor’s mother had alerted the BBC weeks earlier, triggering outrage over a perceived delayed response. A 2024 internal audit found that the BBC’s complaint procedures lacked “consistency”.
Edwards resigned in April 2024 on “medical advice” and was later handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for possession of child pornography.
February 2025: Gaza documentary furore
The BBC faced renewed criticism over its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict following the release of a documentary that featured narration by a boy who was later revealed to be the son of a Hamas official.
The broadcaster failed to disclose that link.
UK media regulator Ofcom ruled in October that the omission constituted “a significant source of deception”, further fuelling accusations of editorial bias.
May 2025: Gary Lineker resigns
Gary Lineker, long-time presenter of the BBC’s flagship “Match of the Day” football programme, stepped down after sharing a pro-Palestinian video that included a rat emoji – a symbol historically used in antisemitic propaganda.
In what was the latest controversy involving the outspoken former England footballer, Lineker insisted he posted it by mistake.
June 2025: Glastonbury Festival
During coverage of the Glastonbury Festival in southwest England, the BBC failed to cut a livestream of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan’s performance, during which its frontman chanted “death, death to the IDF” in reference to the Israeli military.
Director general Davie issued a public apology, stating that “antisemitism has no place” at the broadcaster.
It later announced it would no longer air “high-risk” concerts live.
November 2025: Trump speech uproar
A BBC documentary that aired in 2024 featured a speech by Trump from January 6, 2021, just before the US Capitol assault that the broadcaster later acknowledged had been misleadingly edited.
BBC chairman Samir Shah apologised for the “error of judgement” that meant the programme “did give the impression of a direct call for violent action” by Trump.
The apology came hours after Davie and BBC News CEO Turness quit over the scandal.
That followed growing pressure in the wake of reports emerging that impartiality concerns had been raised, but not acted on, in an internal memo by a former external standards adviser.
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