Some BBC stars ‘behave unacceptably’, finds report launched after Huw Edwards conviction

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Report finds no toxic culture overall at BBC but warns ‘small pocket’ of employees are negatively impacting the broadcaster’s reputation

There is a small number of BBC stars and managers whose behaviour is “simply not acceptable” and which goes unaddressed, a review ordered after the Huw Edwards scandal has found. Vowing to “draw a line in the sand”, Dr Samir Shah, who chairs the BBC’s board, warned that employees who “abuse power or punch down or behave badly” have no place at the corporation and will be “found out”. Those people make life “not just difficult, but at times unbearable” for colleagues, he said.

The report by consultancy firm Change Associates, found there was no toxic culture overall at the BBC after taking views from 2,500 staff members and freelancers, with many employees reporting that the culture has improved in recent years. But the review – announced in August 2024 after presenter Edwards admitted accessing indecent images of children, and was handed a suspended prison sentence – warned that there is a “minority of people who behave unacceptably and whose behaviour is not addressed”. “These people work in both on and off-air roles, dotted across the organisation in different functions and departments,” it said.



“They are often in positions where power could be abused. “Even though they are small in number, their behaviour creates large ripples which negatively impact the BBC’s culture and external reputation.” More follows on this breaking news story.

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