The BBC boss was grilled by MPs over the corporation’s Glastonbury coverage, its Gaza documentary, and the recent investigation into MasterChef host Gregg Wallace
BBC boss Tim Davie has warned there could be “more things coming out” following a string of scandals for the network. The director-general admitted to MPs there may be more turmoil due to more BBC staff “calling out” bad behaviour in the wake of the Gregg Wallace and Huw Edwards furores – something he sees as a “positive change”.
He made the comments after being asked for assurance by a panel there will not be another “scandal of BBC talent abusing their position”.
Davie and BBC chair Samir Shah faced questions from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on a range of issues, including its Glastonbury coverage, its Gaza documentary and the MasterChef crisis.
He said: “I think things have changed since we last talked to the committee, we are seeing people call it out, and that is a positive change, but it’s ongoing work.
“I don’t think you can change culture in six months and suddenly say nothing’s going to occur.
“We may see more things coming out, because in some ways I’m asking for it, and being utterly transparent and running towards the problem, that’s what we need to do.”
The BBC has faced a series of controversies, including the sacking of MasterChef presenter Wallace after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
Presenter John Torode was later axed from the show after an allegation that he used an “extremely offensive racist term”.
Davie added he was “not letting anything lie” when it came to rooting out abuses of power within the corporation.
Discussing the changes that have been made to how abuses of power are dealt with, Tim told MPs: “We are not mucking around now.
“You have to be clear and you have to be fair, but if you’re not living the values, it is clear you leave the BBC or there are consequences.
“No-one’s irreplaceable, we’re all dispensable. That’s an absolute, unequivocal position being given to the whole BBC.”
BBC chair Samir Shah also told MPs that he was determined to “stamp out” bad behaviour.
He added: “It doesn’t matter how grand you are, how famous you are, how important you are.
“If you behave badly and abuse your power, we don’t want you working for the BBC.”
Beeb boss Tim also said they will stream some live music events on a delay in future following the Glastonbury Bob Vylan controversy.
The channel faced criticism for continuing to livestream the performance of the band as they led chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” at the festival in June.
Davie said the punk duo’s set was “anti-Semitic” and “deeply disturbing” and said the BBC made “a very significant mistake in broadcasting that”.
He also said measures have since been put in place would “categorically prevent what happened”.
Davie added: “If something is a high-risk act, we’d now put it on delay.”
Yesterday the band hit back at Davie’s comments and called the BBC boss “spineless”.
The band wrote on X: “Tim Davie is a spineless puppet.
“There was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury. Why do you think Metropoltian Police and Avon and Somerset Police are taking so long?”
The band have been subject to an ongoing criminal investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.
Tim also said the corporation had “executed the recommendations” when asked about the BBC’s Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary.
The documentary was pulled from iPlayer after it was found the narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
The film, made by independent production company HOYO Films, was later found by a review to have breached editorial guidelines on accuracy.
Samir Shah told MPs: “It was a real mistake, what [the report] found was that we were not open and transparent about the relationship of the narrator to a Hamas official, really does go straight to heart of the BBC’s reputational risk in terms of being impartial and trustworthy.
“It was a sin of omission, which is just as serious as a sin of commission.”
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