The BBC director-general has said the corporation has ‘lessons to learn’ after the ‘shocking’ Jermaine Jenas, Huw Edwards and Strictly scandals in a grovelling letter to staff.
Tim Davie said that changing the culture at the broadcaster would be a ‘critical priority’ – as he admitted ‘we have all felt let down’.
He told staff that he wanted to ‘acknowledge that this has been a demanding period for the BBC’, in an email sent yesterday.
It comes after the corporation faced a string of scandals featuring top celebs, with Match of the Day star Jermaine Jenas being sacked for sending inappropriate messages to two female members of staff last week.
A probe is currently ongoing into Strictly Come Dancing, following allegations of dancer Giovanni Pernice being abusive by contestant Amanda Abbington – something he denies.
And just last month disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to to having indecent images of children as young as seven after being sent them on WhatsApp.
In a letter seen by The Sun, he wrote: ‘Aside from the challenges of delivering such brilliant output, I want to acknowledge that this has been a demanding period for the BBC and everyone who works within it.Â
Tim Davie (pictured) said that changing the culture at the broadcaster would be a ‘critical priority’ – as he admitted ‘we have all felt let down’
‘The shocking news about Huw Edwards and other stories, concerning some of our high profile shows, have put the BBC in the spotlight.Â
‘It can be challenging for us all when the BBC becomes the headline.’Â
He said that workers now have to hold themselves to the highest standards – thanking them for supporting the BBC as they ‘navigated a tough situation’.Â
He added that he will continue to oversee plans to grow the organisation for the future.Â
This is a breaking story, more to follow.Â
