The head of the BBC says MasterChef can survive its current scandal as it is “much bigger than individuals” – but the corporation must “make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show”.

Director-general Tim Davie said he “absolutely” thinks the popular cooking contest has a future, with the production’s current deal with the corporation set to run out in 2028, and praised it as “a great programme that’s loved by audiences”.

Speaking as the BBC unveiled its annual report, and following a series of recent controversies, Mr Davie said the corporation’s leadership team will not “tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values”, and confirmed “senior individuals and people involved in these cases are being held to account”.

On Monday, it was revealed an independent review into “inappropriate behaviour” by MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace had upheld more than half of the allegations against him.

In response, Wallace said he was “deeply sorry” and never set out to “harm or humiliate”.

A few hours later, MasterChef presenter John Torode said an allegation he used “racial language” was upheld in the report as part of a review.

Torode has said he has “no recollection of the incident” and “did not believe that it happened”.

Mr Davie said the BBC’s leadership team would not “tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values,” while BBC chair Samir Shah acknowledged there were still pockets within the corporation where “powerful individuals” can still “make life for their colleagues unbearable”.

They said several BBC staff members had been dismissed in the last three months following an independent review into workplace culture.

The review found the corporation did not have a toxic culture but there was a minority of people who behaved unacceptably and whose behaviour was not addressed.

Wallace, who was sacked from MasterChef last week, is not included in that count as he was not directly contracted by the corporation, but was employed by independent production company Banijay.

The BBC has yet to decide if the unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired or not.

‘We will make mistakes’

News of the findings in the Gregg Wallace report came on the same day it was revealed the BBC was deemed to have breached its editorial guidelines over a Gaza documentary that was narrated by the child of a Hamas official.

Media watchdog Ofcom subsequently launched its own investigation into Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, which was removed from BBC iPlayer in February.

While the 2024-25 annual report showed a small rise in trust overall for the corporation, Mr Davie said it had been a year which saw the reputation of the BBC damaged by “serious failings” in the making of the documentary.

He said it was important that the BBC “took full responsibility for those failings and apologised for them” and called the documentary “the most challenging editorial issue” he has dealt with.

Mr Davie said the BBC was “taking action to ensure proper accountability and we’re taking immediate steps to stop a failing like this being repeated”.

Despite a series of controversies in recent months – including livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury, when the band led chants of “death to the IDF” – Mr Davie insisted he can “lead” the BBC in the right direction.

When asked if he would resign, he replied: “I simply think I’m in a place where I can work to improve dramatically the BBC and lead it in the right way.

“We will make mistakes, but I think as a leadership and myself, I’ve been very clear, and I think we have been decisive.”

After what he called a “tough period,” he said the job of director-general was not one to take on “if you want a quiet life or a stress-free existence”.

Mr Shah backed Mr Davie, saying he had shown “very strong leadership throughout all this period and he has my full support”.

The report showed that Mr Davie, who has been in the role since 2020, has had a 3.8% pay rise, with his salary going up from £527,000 last year to £547,000.

BBC’s top-earning stars revealed

The BBC annual report also revealed its on-screen top earners, which saw former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker top the chart for the eighth year running.

The former Match Of The Day presenter, who left the BBC in May, earned £1.35m in 2024/25, according to the corporation’s annual report.

Last year’s BBC annual review was overshadowed by controversy over flagship show Strictly Come Dancing, while the year before saw disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards named the corporation’s highest-paid news anchor, despite having been suspended for nine months.

Gary Lineker has topped the list of the BBC’s highest-earning stars for the eighth year running.

The former Match Of The Day presenter, who left the BBC in May, earned £1.35m in 2024/25, according to the corporation’s annual report.

Presenter Zoe Ball was the second-highest paid, earning £517,000 for her work on the Radio 2 breakfast show, which she left in December last year.

Her replacement as breakfast show host Scott Mills was just outside the top 10 as the eleventh highest earner – with a salary of between £355,000 and £359,000.

Ball has since returned to a new Saturday afternoon show on Radio 2, which she began hosting in May.

Lineker’s former Match Of The Day colleague Alan Shearer was the third-highest earner, with a salary of between £440,000 and £444,999.

Exact salaries for Lineker and Ball are listed in the BBC’s annual report, but the pay of the rest of the on-air talent is listed in bands.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James was fourth on the list, while presenters Fiona Bruce and Nick Robinson were the joint fifth-highest earners.

The list does not include people who are paid through independent production companies or the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios.

Read more:
John Torode says claim he used racist language upheld
BBC gives update on MasterChef’s future
BBC broke editorial guidelines with Gaza documentary

The BBC’s annual report comes as the organisation has faced criticism for a series of failings.

They have included the airing of a controversial Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury – where the band led chants of “death to the IDF”, and claims of “inappropriate behaviour” by MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.

Speaking after the publication of the report, BBC director-general Tim Davie said MasterChef can survive its current scandal as it is “much bigger than individuals”.

But he stressed that the corporation must “make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show”.

They said several BBC staff members had been dismissed in the last three months, following an independent review into workplace culture.

Unreleased Beyonce music – along with footage and show plans – has been stolen from a car in Atlanta, police say.

The vehicle had been rented by the star’s choreographer and a dancer last week.

But on 8 July – just before she was about to begin a four days of performances in the city – the SUV’s back window was smashed, and two suitcases were taken.

Two MacBook laptops, Apple headphones and luxury clothes are also missing – alongside the five thumb drives containing the songs.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect, but their identity has been withheld.

“Light prints” have been detected at the scene, and the robbery was captured on CCTV.