Davie said the string of scandals were ‘shocking’

BBC DIRECTOR General Tim Davie has spoken out on the scandals engulfing the BBC, including Huw Edwards, the Strictly Come Dancing probe and Jermaine Jenas’ sacking.

Mr Davie said the recent news stories were “shocking” and said there were “lessons we can learn” to make the “strongest possible workplace culture”.

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BBC Director General Tim Davie has broken his silence on the corporation’s scandalsCredit: Alamy

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Disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards admitted being sent a string of child sex imagesCredit: PA

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Jermaine Jenas was sacked for sending inappropriate messages to two female members of staffCredit: Getty

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Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice was accused of being abusive.Credit: Getty
In an email sent to all BBC staff yesterday, Tim said he wanted to “acknowledge that this has been a demanding period for the BBC”.

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.

“The shocking news about Huw Edwards and other stories, concerning some of our high profile shows, have put the BBC in the spotlight.

“It can be challenging for us all when the BBC becomes the headline.”

He continued: “I know we have all felt let down and worried about the impact on the BBC.

“However, we hold ourselves to the highest standards and we know there will be lessons we can learn to ensure we have the strongest possible workplace culture.”

Mr Davie went on to thank staff for how they supported the BBC as they “navigated a tough situation”.

In the email he also said he was making changing the culture at the BBC a “critical priority”.

Mr Davie added: “Personally, on my watch, building a positive culture and making the BBC a great place to work is a critical priority.

“I know that many people are proud of their teams and feel they are working in a supportive and positive environment. We must make that universal.”

Thanking staff for their hard work, he said he was going to continue overseeing “plans to transform the organisation and grow it for the future.”

Mr Davie’s email comes just a week after The Sun revealed Match Of The Day and The One Show host Jermaine had been sacked for sending inappropriate messages to two female members of staff.

It is the latest in a line of scandals which have rocked the BBC over the past year.

A probe into Strictly Come Dancing is ongoing, after contestant Amanda Abbington called in lawyers after accusing show dancer Giovanni Pernice of being abusive.

Giovanni denied the allegations and quit the show earlier this year.
Following this pro dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked after The Sun revealed he had kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during training.

Earlier this month Mr Davie was quizzed over the BBC’s handling of Huw Edwards.

The disgraced newsreader admitted being sent a string of child sex images – including sexual videos of a boy as young as seven – in court.

Mr Davie confirmed the BBC did know Huw had committed “serious” offences.

He said: “We knew it was serious, we knew no specifics, apart from the category of the potential offences.”

BBC bosses were not aware of the ages of the children in the images, he added.

Mr Davie said the BBC was “not sitting on anything that I think we need to share with the police, or is of a serious nature that would make me feel that we hadn’t followed up properly”.

He added: “I can categorically say that when it comes to the offences we’ve seen, which are truly horrendous, any evidence that is out there is not in the hands of the BBC.

“If I saw evidence of that, that is not a complicated decision.”

When the charges Huw Edwards was facing came to light, Mr Davie said: “We were very shocked. No-one knew about the specifics of what we heard over the last few days, which have been deeply disturbing.”

He also reiterated that the BBC did not make the potential charges public at the request of the police, adding the corporation also had to consider its duty of care.