Director-General Tim Davie noted in his letter: “The BBC is not perfect, and we must remain open and accountable. While this is not the only reason, discussions surrounding BBC News have influenced my decision. Overall, the corporation is functioning well, but mistakes have been made for which I, as Director-General, take responsibility.” He also mentioned that he is coordinating with the board of directors the timing of his departure to ensure a smooth handover to the new leadership. Deborah Turness, commenting on the situation, emphasized that “the ongoing controversies surrounding the Panorama program about Trump are becoming destructive for the BBC, which I love so much.” She also stated that the accusations of bias against BBC News are false, adding: “The responsibility lies with me,” and announced her resignation, which was submitted on Saturday. Tim Davie was appointed Director-General of the BBC in September 2020 after seven years as head of the commercial division BBC Studios. In total, his tenure at the corporation spans two decades. Deborah Turness has led BBC News since 2022 and was responsible for a team of over 5,000 staff creating content in more than 40 languages for a global audience exceeding 500 million people. BBC Chairman Samir Shah referred to Davie as an outstanding Director-General, noting his determination and vision: “This is a sad day for the BBC. Tim has always had my full support, and I understand that he has been under constant pressure, which led to his decision.” On his platform TruthSocial, Trump commented on Davie's resignation, stating: “Everyone is leaving or being fired due to distortions of my perfect speech on January 6.” He added that these are “extremely dishonest people” who tried to interfere in the elections and emphasized that this threatens democracy. The resignations of Davie and Turness came after a publication in the Telegraph, which claimed that the Panorama documentary “Trump: A Second Chance?” released last year misled viewers due to editing of Trump's speech delivered on the day of the Capitol riots. The newspaper referred to an internal memo indicating that different parts of the speech were edited together, creating a false impression of Trump's support for the riots. British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also commented on the situation, noting that it is very serious, and added that there are other accusations against the BBC, including systemic bias in covering complex issues. She expressed confidence that Samir Shah and Tim Davie take these accusations seriously. The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee had previously sent a request to the BBC Chairman regarding the situation, with a response expected on Monday.
