It has been a brutal couple of years for the BBC after dealing with one disaster after one other, with yet one more one at its doorstep.
Director-general Tim Davie is ready to go away the company at first of April after 5 years on the helm of the broadcaster, the place he’s fielded quite a few controversies.
Amongst these have included John Torode and Gregg Wallace getting fired from MasterChef, solely weeks earlier than Restore Store presenter Jay Blades was charged with severe offences.
On the tail finish of final yr, there have been accusations {that a} prime feminine star on the BBC, as but unnamed, flashed an undesirable d**ok pic to a horrified junior staffer, per The Solar.
Final yr, the nationwide broadcaster additionally handled the revelations surrounding disgraced presenter Huw Edwards, a sequence of allegations in direction of their Strictly execs, and Jermaine Jenas’ speedy dismissal.
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Now, veteran broadcaster Scott Mills’ shock elimination following a grievance over a historic police investigation has rocked the company. Right here’s a rundown on what the BBC has confronted over the previous few years.
Scott Mills
Earlier this week, the BBC eliminated Scott Mills, 53, from his position as Radio 2 host following 25 years on the organisation over allegations about his ‘private conduct’.
Now, new particulars have come to gentle, and it’s understood the media character was abruptly eliminated after a grievance concerning a police investigation into ‘severe sexual offences in opposition to a boy beneath 16’.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in an announcement: ‘In December 2016, the Met started an investigation following a referral from one other police pressure.
‘The investigation associated to allegations of significant sexual offences in opposition to a teenage boy.
‘A full file of proof was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who decided the evidential threshold had not been met to convey prices. Following this recommendation, the investigation was closed in Might 2019.’
A person in his 40s was questioned by police beneath warning in July 2018. The allegations, which didn’t lead to any prices, have been reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
Mills is but to publicly reply to the circumstances round his exit from the nationwide broadcaster.
BBC Panorama Donald Trump documentary
Director-general Davie stepped down following accusations that the BBC doctored Donald Trump’s speech in a Panorama documentary.
Featured within the Panorama episode ‘Trump: A Second Likelihood’, a clip of Trump’s speech appeared to point out him telling supporters he was going to stroll to the Capitol with them to ‘battle like hell,’ though the quotes have been made in a unique a part of the speech, 50 minutes aside.
The difficulty started to unravel after a memo, despatched to the BBC editorial requirements committee, raised considerations over the best way Trump’s speech on January 6 in the course of the Capitol riots was edited.
The Panorama episode got here out only a week earlier than the US elections final yr.
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Critics have accused the Panorama video of being deceptive because the clip didn’t embrace Trump’s phrases that he needed to supporters on the Capitol to protest peacefully.
The US president accused the BBC and its bosses of attempting to ‘step on the scales of a presidential election.’
Becoming a member of Davie in bowing out was additionally the CEO of stories, Deborah Turness, who introduced her resignation on Sunday night as properly.
Since then, Trump has despatched a letter to the BBC with a risk of authorized motion.
MasterChef
MasterChef first confronted bother in October 2024 when the primary misconduct allegations in opposition to Gregg Wallace emerged, together with accusations of ‘inappropriate sexual feedback’.
A number of high-profile names who labored alongside him throughout his profession spoke up, similar to Kirsty Wark, with a complete of 13 individuals elevating considerations over 17 years.
Wallace was suspended from the present (with Irish chef Anna Haugh stepping in to complete filming on the newest sequence) pending an exterior investigation commissioned by the manufacturing firm Banijay.
The investigation lasted a number of months, throughout which the meals present host expressed that the toll of the state of affairs had pushed him to contemplate taking his personal life.
Within the meantime, Wallace was changed by Grace Dent within the Celeb spin-off alongside which she filmed reverse Torode.
In July, the bombshell Silkins assessment confirmed that 45 out of 83 allegations in opposition to Wallace had been upheld, together with an occasion of ‘undesirable bodily contact’ resulting in Wallace threatening authorized motion in opposition to the BBC.
After Wallace was formally eliminated, a substantiated racial language allegation in opposition to Torode additionally led to his elimination, with it later being revealed that he had used the N-word twice.
The BBC determined to air the pre-filmed MasterChef season that includes each sacked presenters, saying it was the ‘proper factor to do’ for the newbie contestants.
The broadcaster’s resolution has been criticised by followers, particularly after one feminine contestant agreed to be edited out after popping out in opposition to airing the sequence.
Since then, Penny Lancaster has detailed her time on MasterChef when she felt ‘bullied’ by Wallace.
The BBC has additionally confirmed Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt will change him in MasterChef: The Professionals.
Strictly Come Dancing
The flagship BBC dance competitors sequence, Strictly Come Dancing, has confronted loads of troubles over the previous two years.
Points began arising after 2023 contestant Amanda Abbington, who was partnered with professional Giovanni Pernice, stop Strictly shortly into her time on the present.
After months of rumours accusing Pernice of poisonous behaviour in his educating on the present – which the dancer denied – he was faraway from the lineup.
In July 2024, Abbington accused Pernice of ‘pointless, abusive, merciless and imply’ behaviour and making a ‘poisonous atmosphere’ which prompted the BBC to launch a probe.
The assessment concluded there have been no findings referring to bodily aggression, however six complaints of verbal bullying and harassment have been upheld in opposition to him.
The identical month, it was revealed that fellow professional Graziano Di Prima had departed from Strictly after allegations he was ‘bodily and verbally abusive’ in direction of his former dance accomplice, Zara McDermott.
Each dancers have now been changed for the upcoming season.
In the meantime, Strictly star Wynne Evans grew to become embroiled in his personal scandal after he was axed from the Strictly Stay Tour after feedback made in direction of married tour host Janette Manrara, insinuating a ‘spit roast’.
‘We have now made it very clear to Wynne that we don’t tolerate such behaviour on the tour,’ a spokesperson instructed the BBC on the time.
How has the BBC been impacted by these scandals and what ought to it do subsequent?
PR and social media professional Rhea Freeman spoke to Metro concerning the affect of those scandals.
‘A lot reputational harm might be accomplished to individuals based mostly on Chinese language whispers, and I believe generally individuals neglect there are actual individuals on the finish of it.
‘Nonetheless, the BBC has been beneath intense scrutiny for a variety of its exhibits, and its stars over the previous few months, and this won’t assist its fame. If I have been working with the BBC, I might advise honesty whereas staying to the rules.
‘Clarify the method, clarify the insurance policies being reviewed/reiterate insurance policies in place to handle this behaviour, clarify you wish to hear from individuals who have considerations.
‘The temptation might be to cover away when issues are going flawed, however individuals (and social media) can fill the void and earlier than you recognize it, fiction is being quoted as truth. There’s a line to stroll, however silence, for my part at the least, isn’t a part of it.’
Simply because the mud has settled on this string of issues, a brand new exterior investigation has been launched – this time into using cocaine by two Strictly stars and ingesting on the present by certainly one of them.
The claims have been reportedly made in March by regulation agency Russells, on behalf of former contestant and opera singer Wynne Evans.
In an announcement to Metro, a BBC spokesperson mentioned: ‘We don’t recognise these claims and any suggestion that anybody has been requested to watch a person is totally unfaithful.’
In September, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick was then axed by the BBC following his scandal on Strictly.
The 31-year-old was sensationally fired by the BBC after utilizing a disabled slur.
Jay Blades
The Restore Store host Jay Blades had been with the present since its launch in 2017 and ultimately took a step again in Might 2024 shortly after his cut up from his spouse, Lisa Zbozen.
In September, he was charged with controlling and coercive behaviour in direction of Zbozen and entered a not responsible plea at Worcester Crown Court docket a month later.
Earlier this month, it was individually confirmed by police that he had been charged with two counts of rape and is because of seem at Telford magistrates’ courtroom on August 13.
A day later, the 55-year-old as soon as extra appeared in Worcester Crown Court docket for a preliminary listening to on a cost of controlling or coercive behaviour.
The BBC beforehand confirmed to Metro that Blades will not be at the moment filming The Restore Store, and the BBC is at the moment not going to be scheduling any programmes wherein he’s featured, however content material that already options Blades will stay on BBC iPlayer.
Jermaine Jenas
Final yr, The One Present host Jermaine Jenas was dismissed with speedy impact after complaints of express texts despatched to colleagues emerged.
The 42-year-old presenter was married to Ellie Penfold, with whom he shares 4 youngsters, on the time, though the couple confirmed their cut up in Might.
After the complaints got here out, he admitted to sending these messages to 2 ‘consenting’ BBC co-workers however mentioned there have been ‘two sides to each story’ and he was going to hunt authorized motion.
In a current interview, he known as it ‘sexting’ however reiterated there was ‘nopower aspect to it happening’ – including that he was going by way of a tough patch along with his spouse.
‘I handled it flawed and bought closely punished for it by shedding just about every part that I had at the moment,’ he mentioned.
Huw Edwards
In July 2023, Huw Edwards was suspended from the BBC after a sequence of allegations in opposition to him, and he resigned from the job in April 2024, months after he was arrested.
After ongoing hypothesis over what Edwards had been accused of, in September, he was handed a six-month jail sentence suspended for 2 years after admitting to 3 prices of making indecent photos of youngsters.
He issued a responsible plea at Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket after convicted paedophile Alex Williams despatched him unlawful photos on WhatsApp.
In addition to finishing a intercourse offender programme he has now been positioned on the registry for seven years, which suggests he has to inform police of his whereabouts.
In Might, BBC Chairman Samir Shah issued a private plea to Edwards to return the £200,000 to the broadcaster, which he acquired after his arrest.
Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty
BBC Breakfast has come beneath scrutiny in current months after a spate of bullying allegations.
This week, it has been reported that long-term presenter Charlie Stayt is ‘beneath assessment’ by the broadcaster after a variety of complaints have been mentioned to be made in opposition to him.
The tradition on the flagship morning present is known to be beneath assessment by an HR adviser from consultancy agency PwC after bullying allegations have been levelled in opposition to co-host Naga Munchetty earlier this yr.
Editor of BBC Breakfast, Richard Frediani was additionally topic to related claims and took an prolonged interval of depart from which he has now returned after an exterior investigation.
Deadline reported {that a} minimal of two misconduct complaints had been made in opposition to Frediani, with one alleging that the editor had bodily shook a colleague throughout an interplay.
In the meantime, Munchetty was believed to be in talks to maneuver over to LBC, with the newest studies claiming the Beeb is planning to place each hosts beneath formal investigation.
A model of this text was first revealed on August 8, 2025.
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