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“Powerful individuals” at the BBC are making the lives of their colleagues “unbearable”, the corporation’s chairman has said, after a review into its workplace culture.

The independent report, sparked by the Huw Edwards scandal, was carried out by Change Associates, the same management consultancy that led a similar review in 2013, following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

BBC chairman Samir Shah told staff ahead of the report’s release on Monday morning: “There is a minority of people whose behaviour is simply not acceptable. And there are still places where powerful individuals – on and off screen – can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable.”

He said the report made recommendations to “prioritise action over procedural change”, as well as addressing “deep-seated issues” including staff not feeling confident enough to speak up.

Mr Shah added: “In the end, it’s quite simple: if you are a person who is prepared to abuse power or punch down or behave badly, there is no place for you at the BBC.”

While the review, which heard from around 2,500 employees and freelancers from 19 different countries, found no evidence of a toxic culture within the corporation, some staff said there was “a minority of people at the BBC – both on and off-air – who were able to behave unacceptably without it being addressed”.

The report said: “Even though they are small in number, their behaviour creates large ripples which negatively impact the BBC’s culture and external reputation.”

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It said these people were “dotted across the organisation in different functions and departments”, and were “often in positions where power could be abused”.

While no specific names were mentioned in the report, it did note “some names were mentioned several times”.

Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court, London, where he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment suspended for two years after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. Picture date: Monday September 16, 2024.
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Huw Edwards was handed a six-month suspended jail sentence in September. Pic: PA

Some considered ‘indispensable’

One example of poor behaviour given included an “untouchable” presenter being “called out for exceptionally inappropriate language”. It said that while “a report was made” and sanctions promised, a senior manager who was in the room at the time of the incident was “perceived as deferring so as not to rock the boat”.

It said a blind eye could be turned to poor behaviours “when productions were award winning or attracting large audiences”.

The report went on to warn that, “at its worst”, the corporation “rewards” such individuals “by providing little or no consequence to their actions”.

It recognised that some of those displaying “unacceptable behaviour” were perceived as “indispensable” to the corporation, and that by moving “potentially vexatious issues” to formal grievance without appropriate due diligence, the BBC was “tolerating” the problem.

It also said that by keeping those who formally raised an issue “in the dark about progress and outcomes,” it was unfairly punishing them.

The BBC board has fully accepted the report and its findings, as has BBC management.

BBC chairman Samir Shah answering questions at the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Pic: PA
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BBC chairman Samir Shah. Pic: PA

BBC director-general Tim Davie called the report “an important moment for the BBC and the wider industry”.

He said the corporation would implement the recommendations “at pace”, making sure that BBC values are “lived and championed by the whole organisation each and every day.”

Actions being taken include:

• A strengthened code of conduct, with specific guidance for on-air presenters
• A more robust disciplinary policy, with updated examples of misconduct and clear consequences
• All TV production partners must meet Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) industry standards
• A new “Call It Out” campaign to promote positive behaviour, empower informal resolution and challenge poor conduct
• Clear pledges for anyone raising concerns, setting out what they can expect from the BBC

Further actions include succession planning for the most senior on-air roles, a new “resolving concerns helpline”, more training for managers and clearer behaviour expectations for freelancers.

A difficult year for the BBC

The BBC has been under pressure to act after a string of complaints against some of its top talent over the last 12 months.

In September, Edwards, who was the BBC’s lead news presenter, pleaded guilty to three counts of “making” indecent images of children. He was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and will be on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

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Huw Edwards leaves court after sentencing

Earlier this month, following a CPS review, Russell Brand, was charged with rape and sexual assault.

Brand, who worked for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music between 2006 and 2008, denies all allegations against him and says all his sexual encounters were consensual.

The BBC also apologised in January after a review found it “did not take adequate action” upon learning about concerns over former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood following claims of “bullying and misogynistic behaviour”.

Other allegations of misconduct against BBC talent include accusations of a toxic environment on Strictly Come Dancing and the firing of The One Show presenter Jermaine Jenas after he admitted sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues.

And late last year, Greg Wallace stepped down from his presenting role on MasterChef after multiple historical allegations of misconduct.

Wallace’s lawyers have said it is “entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”. Wallace has since said he is seeking “space to heal”.

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US talk show hosts react to Jimmy Kimmel cancellation – as Trump issues threat

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US talk show titans come out fighting after Kimmel cancellation

US talk show host Stephen Colbert has condemned the cancellation of fellow late-night star Jimmy Kimmel as a “blatant assault on freedom of speech”, as America’s top late night presenters came out fighting.

He used the opening of Thursday night’s edition of his Late Show to address the pulling of Jimmy Kimmel Live over comments made about the assassination of the right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel used his show earlier this week to accuse the Trump administration and its allies of “working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk”, with the president among those to pin it on left-wing extremism.

Explainer: What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk?

The move by Disney-owned ABC has been widely criticised, with the network accused of kowtowing to President Donald Trump, who celebrated the decision.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Thursday, Mr Trump suggested certain networks should have their licenses revoked over a lack of support for him.

“When a late-night hosts is on network television there is a licence,” he said. “I read somewhere that the networks were 97% against me… they give me only bad publicity or press. I mean [if] they’re getting a licence. I would think maybe their licence should be taken away.”

Also airing on Thursday night, Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s Daily Show, appeared in a garish gold set, in parody of Mr Trump’s redesign of the White House, to tell viewers the episode would be “another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show”.

Stewart, playing the role of an over-the-top, politically obsequious TV host under authoritarian rule, lavished praise on the president and satirised his criticism of US cities and his deployment of the National Guard to fight crime.

“Coming to you tonight from the real […] crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster like no-one’s ever seen before. Someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?” he said.

He then introduced his guest – Maria Ressa, a journalist and author of the book How To Stand Up To A Dictator.

Jon Stewart. Pic: Associated Press
Image:
Jon Stewart. Pic: Associated Press

Over at The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon told his audience he was “not sure what was going on” but that Kimmel is “a decent funny and loving guy and I hope he comes back”.

Fallon then promised viewers that in spite of people being “worried that we won’t keep saying what we want to say or that we will be censored”, he was going to cover the president’s recent trip to the UK “just like I normally would”.

He was then replaced by a voiceover describing Mr Trump as “incredibly handsome” and “making America great again”.

Jimmy Fallon on Thursday's Tonight Show. Pic: The Tonight Show X
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Jimmy Fallon on Thursday’s Tonight Show. Pic: The Tonight Show X

Seth Meyers also joined the fray.

“Donald Trump is on his way back from a trip to the UK,” he said at the top of his show Late Night, “while back here at home, his administration is pursuing a crackdown on free speech… and completely unrelated, I just wanted to say that I have always admired and respected Mr Trump.

“I have always believed he was a visionary, an innovator, a great president, and an even better golfer.”

Kimmel’s removal from the show he has hosted for two decades led to criticism that free speech was under attack.

But speaking on his visit to Britain, Donald Trump claimed he was suspended “because he had bad ratings”.

It came after fellow late-night host Colbert saw his programme cancelled earlier this year, which fans claimed was also down to his criticism of Mr Trump, who has since railed against Kimmel, Meyers, and Fallon.

He has posted on Truth Social that they should all be cancelled.

Jimmy Kimmel hosting last year's Oscars. Pic: AP
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Jimmy Kimmel hosting last year’s Oscars. Pic: AP

Figures from both the worlds of entertainment and politics lined up to lament ABC’s removal of Kimmel.

Chat show doyen David Letterman said people should not be fired just because they don’t “suck up” to what he called “an authoritarian” president.

During an appearance at The Atlantic Festival 2025 in New York on Thursday night, he added: “It’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous.

“I feel bad about this, because we all see where see this is going, correct? It’s managed media.”

Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016. Pic: Susan Walsh/AP
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Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016. Pic: Susan Walsh/AP

Former US president Barack Obama wrote on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent, and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating it.”

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Norman Foster on ‘incredible’ masterplan for new Manchester United ground

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Norman Foster on 'incredible' masterplan for new Manchester United ground

Football and the royals are two subjects which have always attracted very outspoken fans. Now, aged 90, Lord Norman Foster is attempting to please both.

One of the one of the world’s most important living architects, he is known for being the vision behind some of the world’s most iconic designs – including London’s “Gherkin” building, the Millennium Bridge and the British Museum’s spectacular Great Court.

Arguably, however, two of his most talked about designs are yet to be built.

In June, his firm Foster + Partners was announced as having won the commission to build a national memorial in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Before that, in March, his firm’s vision for a new 100,000-seater stadium at Old Trafford was revealed, which he describes as “the project of a lifetime”.

A conceptual image of what the new Manchester United stadium could look like. Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
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A conceptual image of what the new Manchester United stadium could look like. Pic: Foster + Partners/PA

Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
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Pic: Foster + Partners/PA

‘A galvanising project’

“The fan base is incredible,” Lord Foster said of his excitement at being commissioned to work on the new ground.

For the renowned architect it is a homecoming of sorts, given Lord Foster’s working-class roots, having grown-up in Manchester.

Was he excited to be involved?

“You bet,” he exclaims.

“It’s a galvanising project… and so many things can naturally ride on the back of that sporting, emblematic kind of team.”

Set to cost around £2bn – with its three tall masts acting as a vast umbrella over Old Trafford – the design is part of a larger regeneration project which Lord Foster claims could be completed in five years.

The stadium design is part of a larger regeneration project.
Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
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The stadium design is part of a larger regeneration project.
Pic: Foster + Partners/PA

It is described as a “master plan that will create streets, squares, neighbourhoods and connect with the heart of Manchester.”

Asked whether it will feel unlike any other British stadium, he said: “Manchester United is different and therefore its stadium’s going to be different… and better, of course.”

And what of the QEII memorial?

He says his design to remember the late monarch in London’s St James’ Park will be “more of all the good things”.

His plans include a statue of Queen Elizabeth II standing next to her husband Prince Philip, and a semi-glass bridge which is a nod to her wedding tiara.

The royal gardens design. Pic: Foster+Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA
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The royal gardens design. Pic: Foster+Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants/PA

As for those who’ve questioned whether maintaining its sparkle might prove to be problematic, Lord Foster insists it’ll be “less maintenance, more joy”.

He says his hope is “to address the many millions who traverse that [park], the daily commuters and many tourists, and to make that more human, to make it a better experience and a reminder of the legacy of the most extraordinary long-serving monarch”.

After collecting the London Design Festival’s prestigious lifetime achievement medal earlier this week, with six decades of experience under his belt, Lord Foster says he finds Britain’s inability to invest in infrastructure frustrating.

Lord Foster speaks at the awards ceremony
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Lord Foster speaks at the awards ceremony

“I lamented, like so many, the cancellation of HS2,” he says. The long-delayed rail route’s northern leg to Manchester was scrapped by Rishi Sunak in 2023.

“That was about levelling-up. It wasn’t about getting from one place in lightning speed, it was taking the burden off the regional network so it would serve local communities better.”

He says “connectivity is the answer to many of the social issues that we talk about”.

The tendency of politicians, he says, to prioritise short-term issues doesn’t help when it comes to seeing the bigger picture.

“There is not the awareness of the importance of design and planning… you do need a political awareness,” he says.

“The city is not static, it’s dynamic. It’s always changing, evolving, adapting to change, and it can do that well, or it can do it badly. But it needs planning, it needs anticipation.”

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Kimmel ‘fired for lack of talent’, Trump says, as Obama decries ‘government coercion’

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Jimmy Kimmel 'should have been fired a long time ago', says Trump, after Obama's criticism

Donald Trump has claimed Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was pulled off the air because of “bad ratings”.

Kimmel’s programme on US network ABC was axed after he criticised the US president and his allies for their response to the assassination of the right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

The decision led to accusations that free speech was under attack in the US, with Democrats including former US president Barack Obama and a number of celebrities sounding an alarm.

Mr Trump said: “Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else.”

“And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”

Speaking at a news conference alongside Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump added: “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.

“So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

More on Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump attends a news conference with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump attends a news conference with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Pic: Reuters

Aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump said: “When a host is on network television, there is a license. … I think maybe their license should be taken away.”

He said whether ABC’s license could be taken away over Mr Kimmel’s comments “will be up to Brendan Carr”, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

The US president also said that Mr Kimmel’s “ratings were worse than cold air. I think they got rid of cold air, which is a good thing to do. Look, that’s something that we should be talking about for licensing, too”.

The latest season of Jimmy Kimmel Live averaged 1.57 million viewers per episode, according to media research firm Nielsen – and the show’s YouTube channel has almost 21 million subscribers.

What did Kimmel say?

Kimmel made the controversial remark on Monday night.

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk monologue

He said: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Speaking about Mr Trump, he added: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

“Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he continued.

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Kimmel: Chairman of FCC hints at legal action

Free speech under attack?

Disney-owned ABC then said the show would be taken off air indefinitely, and with immediate effect, after network operator Nexstar – which operates a number of ABC affiliates – said it would stop broadcasting it.

But the move – months after fellow CBS late-night show host Stephen Colbert saw his programme cancelled – sparked concern over the state of freedom of speech in the country.

Former US president Barack Obama wrote on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent, and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating it.”

Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016. Pic: Susan Walsh/AP
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Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016. Pic: Susan Walsh/AP

A string of high-profile celebrities, including actor Ben Stiller, criticised the decision. Mr Stiller reacted to another post on the news, replying: “This isn’t right.”

Actress Alison Brie said in an Instagram story: “This is unreal. And very scary.”

Actress Jean Smart and comedian Alex Edelman also attacked the move.

Ben Stiller was among celebrities who rallied around Mr Kimmel. (Pic: Reuters)
Image:
Ben Stiller was among celebrities who rallied around Mr Kimmel. (Pic: Reuters)

The American Federation of Musicians, Directors Guild of America, IATSE and Sag Aftra have also condemned the ABC’s decision in a joint statement.

“The indefinite removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live under government pressure is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing trend of increasing interference in creative expression,” the unions said.

“This kind of political pressure on broadcasters and artists chills free speech and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working Americans.”

What happened

Kimmel’s comments led to the Trump backer Mr Carr threatening to “take action” against Disney and ABC.

In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, he said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

After the show was pulled, he then praised Nexstar’s broadcasting division, saying “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values”.

Mr Trump, currently on a UK state visit, welcomed the move. (Pic: Reuters)
Image:
Mr Trump, currently on a UK state visit, welcomed the move. (Pic: Reuters)

Kimmel’s suspension has triggered outrage from Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted on X: “The @GOP [Republican Party] does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called for people “across the political spectrum… to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel”.

A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He has not issued any statement since the show’s withdrawal.

Sinclear, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, has called on Mr Kimmel to “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA” in a statement on Thursday.

The company said its ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Mr Kirk during Jimmy Kimmel Live’s timeslot on Friday.

Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar needs the Trump administration go-ahead to complete its $6.2bn purchase of broadcast rival Tegna.

Mr Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. Prosecutors said he had expressed negative views about Mr Kirk, an influential media figure in the MAGA movement.

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