BBC director-general Tim Davie quits after 20 years amid row over misleading edit of Trump’s January 6 speech

Tim Davie resigned as British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) director-general on Sunday as pressure mounted over a Panorama programme accused of cutting together Donald Trump’s words in a way that misled viewers, triggering one of the broadcaster’s biggest rows in years.

Deborah Turness, the BBC’s CEO of News, has also resigned as anger grew inside the newsroom.

What was the row about?

The uproar began after an internal BBC dossier revealed concerns about how a Panorama documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance? edited clips from US President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech. The edits made it appear that he told supporters he would march with them to the US Capitol to "fight like hell". The documentary aired shortly before last year's US election. White House later accused the BBC of "100 per cent fake news".

The document was written by former journalist Michael Prescott and circulated inside the BBC. It pointed to serious editorial failures and raised additional questions about BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Gaza conflict. The Telegraph’s reporting on the memo triggered an immediate backlash, prompting the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee to demand answers from BBC chairman Samir Shah.

Davie takes 'ultimate responsibility'

Announcing his resignation, Davie said: "There have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility."

He added that his decision followed high pressure from the job. "I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years. This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days."

He said he would work with the Board on the timing of his departure to ensure an orderly transition, according to the Daily Mail. He said: "In these increasingly polarised times, the BBC is of unique value and speaks to the very best of us." He acknowledged that recent debate around BBC News had contributed to his decision.

BBC Chairman Samir Shah paid tribute to Davie. "This is a sad day for the BBC. Tim has been an outstanding Director-General for the last five years. He has propelled the BBC forward with determination, single-mindedness and foresight." He added that he understood the pressure Davie had faced and respected his decision.