Latest news with #BBCAnnualReport
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Naga Muchetty gets pay rise dwarfing co-host Charlie Stayt amid ‘bully' claims as BBC salaries revealed
BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty received a huge pay rise last year - despite being reprimanded by bosses over bullying allegations. Advertisement 12 Naga's salary is almost double that of her co-host Charlie Stayt 12 The presenter was reprimanded by bosses over two incidents in three years 12 Naga found herself at the centre of a toxicity row on the BBC Breakfast sofa Credit: Splash , received a 10k boost despite finding herself at the centre of a BBC Breakfast toxicity row earlier this year. Naga, who has presented on the flagship news programme since 2014, has always been paid more than Stayt. Her pay packet accounts for 180 days of presenting on the Breakfast show, as well as her Radio 5 Live programme and election coverage. It comes as she was accused of hauled in by bosses over a sex jibe made at Radio 5 Live. Advertisement Read more in TV Key points in the BBC Annual Report Gary Lineker has topped the list of highest earners for another year BBC Breakfast star Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all Scandal-hit boss Tim Davie was New MOTD host Mark Chapman's Tim Davies reveals Breakfast's editor Naga is said to have used a crude slang term for a sex act during an off-air break — before asking a colleague if they had done it. Most read in Showbiz The alleged remark stunned the Radio 5 Live studio and led to her being hauled before bosses. Advertisement She was reprimanded by a senior producer but no formal action was taken. The BBC Annual report - released today - revealed that Gary Lineker ended his time with the BBC by topping the Corporation's pay league for the eighth consecutive year. Its salary report showed the Top 10 earners at the BBC MOTD Star Gary Lineker retained his place as top earner for another year Gary Lineker - £1.35million Zoe Ball - £515,000 - cut from £950,000 Alan Shearer - £440,000 - up from £380,000 Greg James - £425,000 - up from £415,000 Fiona Bruce - £410,000 - up from £405,000 AND Nick Robinson - £410,000 - up from £345,000 Stephen Nolan - £405,000 Laura Kuenssberg - £395,000 - up from £325,000 Vernon Kay - £390,000 - up from £320,000 Justin Webb - £365,000 - up from £320,000 Naga Munchetty - £355,000 - up from £345,000 Radio 2 host Zoe Ball, 53, remained the Beeb's second-highest earner despite a significant pay cut when she left the breakfast show,. Advertisement She is now in the £515,000 - £519,999 grade, dropping from £950,000 to £954,999. Other top earners include Alan Shearer on £440k, Nearly 70 per cent of the BBC's top 20 earners received pay rises. One of the Beeb's former highest-earners, Huw Edwards, does not feature in 24/25's pay disclose list after he left in April 2024 amid an explicit image scandal. Advertisement The BBC has not escaped scandal this year, though. MasterChef's Gregg Wallace, was fired this week for inappropriate conduct. However neither would feature in the publicly-funded BBC's salary dossier, which discloses salaries above £178,000, because they are paid by external production firms or BBC Studios, the corporation's commercial arm. Advertisement Many big names, including Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, Graham Norton and Bradley Walsh do not feature for the same reason. 12 12 Lineker retained his spot as the Beeb's highest earner Credit: BBC 12 Despite taking a huge pay cut, Zoe Ball was once again the second-highest paid Credit: PA Advertisement It comes as under-fire Director General Tim Davie received a £15k pay hike despite systemic failure. He took home £540k. His pay boost comes just weeks after the BBC was forced to issue a grovelling apology for streaming Bob Vylan's "death to IDF" Glastonbury chant. Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all. Some 23.8m licences are in force, down from 24.1m in 2023/2024. Advertisement Scandal-hit BBC boss Tim Davie gets pay RISE to £540k despite Gregg Wallace drama, Glasto coverage & Hamas doc scandal SCANDAL-HIT BBC boss Tim Davie has been given a sizeable pay rise to earn £544,999 a year. The broadcaster's annual report shows the Director-General's pay packet swelled by around £15,000 or 2.5% over the past 12 months - despite controversies including those involving Gregg Wallace, Bob Vylan and a Hamas documentary. The Beeb is required to publish the pay and expenses for all senior leaders earning over £178,000 annually "in the BBC's public services", according to its report. Davie - who took up his current role in 2020 - was paid an estimated £529,999 in salary and taxable benefits in 2023-24. Asked by The Sun why Davie had received a £15,000 bonus despite significant failures throughout the year, BBC's chair of the board Dr Samir Shah said: "His pay has been frozen since 2021 and I think that it is reasonable. "There is little doubt that Tim's pay is significantly under the (going rate). "If you look at the figures , trust levels have gone up - if you look at the report, the actual performance of the BBC has been exceptional." He added: "I have no problems with awarding him with what is a very small bonus - which still ends up [with] his salary being significantly lower than any of his peers in the sector." But because of a hike in cost to £169.50, the BBC says it gathered some £183m more from the fees. Despite the drop, it said the "vast majority of our audiences remained committed to paying the licence fee". It comes as The Sun revealed the Beeb asked John Torode to A Advertisement The dossier also upheld a complaint that an unnamed person used a racial phrase once several years ago. Torode confirmed to The Sun it referred to him, but said: 'I have absolutely no recollection of this, and I do not believe that it happened.' The BBC also told the MasterChef presenter to pretend he had mental health issues after accusing him of racism, it was claimed. The stunned Aussie, 59, was asked to resign over the weekend after being dragged into the Advertisement Shockingly, sources said the BBC and production company Banijay asked John to resign from the beleaguered show last week and claim he had mental health problems — to which he refused. 12 Tim Davie has received a substantial pay rise despite major scandals at the BBC Credit: Getty 12 The BBC asked John Torode to resign from MasterChef after an initial probe into his co-host Gregg Wallace Advertisement 12 The broadcaster was forced to issue a grovelling apology after streaming Bob Vylan's controversial Glastonbury performance In a farcical turn of events, the BBC was unable to specify the time or date of the allegation, narrowing it down to '2018 or 2019'. The Beeb admitted the future of Masterchef was hanging in the balance after the shocking revelations and probes into both hosts. A total of 45 out of the 83 allegations made against Gregg during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of "unwelcome physical contact". Advertisement The corporation said the possibility of Gregg returning to MasterChef was "untenable". And they also issued a statement on the future of the new series of MasterChef, saying that, at this time, 'we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year.' Earlier this month, the Beeb told how Bob Vylan were assessed as "high risk" before their performance at Glastonbury but were "deemed suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations". Chairman Samir Shah admitted that the decision to continue streaming the Advertisement Singer Bobby Vylan also shouted "from the river to the sea Palestine... will be free" - regarded by Jews as a call for Israel's elimination. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed The BBC later took down the broadcast on the iPlayer but was criticised for not cutting it off immediately after the anti-Semitic chanting, with the live feed continuing for another 40 minutes. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those who slammed the broadcaster and demanded an explanation for the decision to air the horrifying chant during the performance on the West Holts stage. Advertisement n a fresh statement earlier this month, the BBC said: "We fully understand the strength of feeling regarding "We deeply regret that such 12 MOTD star Alan Shearer was third highest on the salary list 12 Fiona Bruce also received a pay rise - landing her fourth on the list Advertisement 12 The BBC Annual Report was released today
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Naga Munchetty gets pay rise dwarfing co-host Charlie Stayt amid ‘bully' claims as BBC salaries revealed
BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty received a huge pay rise last year - despite being reprimanded by bosses over bullying allegations. The BBC's annual report revealed the under-fire presenter 's new £355k salary is now almost double that of her co-host Charlie Styat, who has remained in the £190k bracket. 12 12 The star, 50, received a 10k boost despite finding herself at the centre of a BBC Breakfast toxicity row earlier this year. Naga, who has presented on the flagship news programme since 2014, has always been paid more than Stayt. Her pay packet accounts for 180 days of presenting on the Breakfast show, as well as her Radio 5 Live programme and election coverage. It comes as she was accused of two bullying incidents in three years - including allegedly targeting a junior staffer - and was hauled in by bosses over a sex jibe made at Radio 5 Live. Key points in the BBC Annual Report Naga is said to have used a crude slang term for a sex act during an off-air break — before asking a colleague if they had done it. The alleged remark stunned the Radio 5 Live studio and led to her being hauled before bosses. She was reprimanded by a senior producer but no formal action was taken. The BBC Annual report - released today - revealed that Gary Lineker ended his time with the BBC by topping the Corporation's pay league for the eighth consecutive year. Its salary report showed the ex-Match of the Day host, 64, remained in the £1,350,000 to £1,354,999 bracket before he quit in May following a social media row over a pro-Palestinian video. Top 10 earners at the BBC MOTD Star Gary Lineker retained his place as top earner for another year Gary Lineker - £1.35million Zoe Ball - £515,000 - cut from £950,000 Alan Shearer - £440,000 - up from £380,000 Greg James - £425,000 - up from £415,000 Fiona Bruce - £410,000 - up from £405,000 AND Nick Robinson - £410,000 - up from £345,000 Stephen Nolan - £405,000 Laura Kuenssberg - £395,000 - up from £325,000 Vernon Kay - £390,000 - up from £320,000 Justin Webb - £365,000 - up from £320,000 Naga Munchetty - £355,000 - up from £345,000 Radio 2 host Zoe Ball, 53, remained the Beeb's second-highest earner despite a significant pay cut when she left the breakfast show,. She is now in the £515,000 - £519,999 grade, dropping from £950,000 to £954,999. Other top earners include Alan Shearer on £440k, Greg James on £425k and Fiona Bruce on £410k - all three receiving pay rises. Nearly 70 per cent of the BBC's top 20 earners received pay rises. One of the Beeb's former highest-earners, Huw Edwards, does not feature in 24/25's pay disclose list after he left in April 2024 amid an explicit image scandal. The BBC has not escaped scandal this year, though. MasterChef's Gregg Wallace, was fired this week for inappropriate conduct. Wynne Evans was also sacked by BBC Radio Wales after a row on Strictly Come Dancing. However neither would feature in the publicly-funded BBC's salary dossier, which discloses salaries above £178,000, because they are paid by external production firms or BBC Studios, the corporation's commercial arm. Many big names, including Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, Graham Norton and Bradley Walsh do not feature for the same reason. 12 12 It comes as under-fire Director General Tim Davie received a £15k pay hike despite systemic failure. He took home £540k. His pay boost comes just weeks after the BBC was forced to issue a grovelling apology for streaming Bob Vylan's "death to IDF" Glastonbury chant. Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all. Some 23.8m licences are in force, down from 24.1m in 2023/2024. Scandal-hit BBC boss Tim Davie gets pay RISE to £540k despite Gregg Wallace drama, Glasto coverage & Hamas doc scandal SCANDAL-HIT BBC boss Tim Davie has been given a sizeable pay rise to earn £544,999 a year. The broadcaster's annual report shows the Director-General's pay packet swelled by around £15,000 or 2.5% over the past 12 months - despite controversies including those involving Gregg Wallace, Bob Vylan and a Hamas documentary. The Beeb is required to publish the pay and expenses for all senior leaders earning over £178,000 annually "in the BBC's public services", according to its report. Davie - who took up his current role in 2020 - was paid an estimated £529,999 in salary and taxable benefits in 2023-24. Asked by The Sun why Davie had received a £15,000 bonus despite significant failures throughout the year, BBC's chair of the board Dr Samir Shah said: "His pay has been frozen since 2021 and I think that it is reasonable. "There is little doubt that Tim's pay is significantly under the (going rate). "If you look at the figures , trust levels have gone up - if you look at the report, the actual performance of the BBC has been exceptional." He added: "I have no problems with awarding him with what is a very small bonus - which still ends up [with] his salary being significantly lower than any of his peers in the sector." But because of a hike in cost to £169.50, the BBC says it gathered some £183m more from the fees. Despite the drop, it said the "vast majority of our audiences remained committed to paying the licence fee". It comes as The Sun revealed the Beeb asked John Torode to resign from Masterchef after he was accused of racism. A report upheld 45 of 83 allegations of bad behaviour against his co-host Gregg Wallace, who was axed last week. The dossier also upheld a complaint that an unnamed person used a racial phrase once several years ago. Torode confirmed to The Sun it referred to him, but said: 'I have absolutely no recollection of this, and I do not believe that it happened.' The BBC also told the MasterChef presenter to pretend he had mental health issues after accusing him of racism, it was claimed. The stunned Aussie, 59, was asked to resign over the weekend after being dragged into the Gregg Wallace scandal. Shockingly, sources said the BBC and production company Banijay asked John to resign from the beleaguered show last week and claim he had mental health problems — to which he refused. Torode, who has hosted the BBC1 cooking show with Wallace since 2005, was shocked to be told of the allegation — which did not receive a complaint at the time but had been raised with investigators. 12 12 In a farcical turn of events, the BBC was unable to specify the time or date of the allegation, narrowing it down to '2018 or 2019'. The Beeb admitted the future of Masterchef was hanging in the balance after the shocking revelations and probes into both hosts. A total of 45 out of the 83 allegations made against Gregg during his time on the show were substantiated, including one allegation of "unwelcome physical contact". The corporation said the possibility of Gregg returning to MasterChef was "untenable". And they also issued a statement on the future of the new series of MasterChef, saying that, at this time, 'we are not going to make a final decision on the broadcast of the series that was filmed last year.' Earlier this month, the Beeb told how Bob Vylan were assessed as "high risk" before their performance at Glastonbury but were "deemed suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations". Chairman Samir Shah admitted that the decision to continue streaming the pro-Palestine punk duo following their 'death to the IDF' chant was an "error of judgement". Singer Bobby Vylan also shouted "from the river to the sea Palestine... will be free" - regarded by Jews as a call for Israel 's elimination. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed cops were investigating the performance, as well as controversial Irish rock group Kneecap, after video and audio footage of their sets had been examined. The BBC later took down the broadcast on the iPlayer but was criticised for not cutting it off immediately after the anti-Semitic chanting, with the live feed continuing for another 40 minutes. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those who slammed the broadcaster and demanded an explanation for the decision to air the horrifying chant during the performance on the West Holts stage. n a fresh statement earlier this month, the BBC said: "We fully understand the strength of feeling regarding Bob Vylan's live appearance at Glastonbury on the BBC. "We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community." 12 12 12
The Irish Sun
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
BBC looks at licence fee overhaul as whopping 300,000 fewer Brits sign up for £174.50 a year cost
THE BBC is looking into a licence fee overhaul with hundreds of thousands of households refusing to pay up. The broadcaster's annual report released today says competition from streaming services has created a "moment of real jeopardy for the sector". Advertisement 6 A view of BBC Broadcasting House in central London Credit: PA 6 An estimated 300,000 households have stopped paying. The report revealed 23.8m licences were in force at the end of the year, down from 24.1m in 2023-24. The drop means a loss of about £50m in revenue for the corporation. It comes as BBC Director-General Tim Davie was shown to have been Advertisement Read more News And departing Match of the Day host Gary Lineker ended his time with the Corporation by for the eighth consecutive year, raking in £1.35million. Key points in the BBC Annual Report Gary Lineker has He was followed by Zoe Ball, who remains second best-paid at the Beeb despite her dramatic pay cut More than two thirds of the broadcaster's top 20 earners received pay rises BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty received a boost to her pay, but co-host Charlie Stayt's salary stayed the same Disgraced presenter Huw Edwards did not feature on the list after his exit from the broadcaster Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all BBC boss Tim Davie Referring to the licence fee, BBC Chair Samir Shah says in the annual report: 'The fight is on, and it is vital we now think very carefully about the kind of media environment we want for the UK.' Most read in News TV He added they were searching for 'the best future funding model for the BBC'. Advertisement Shah said: 'I have already set out some views on this and the board will be saying more over the coming months,' he said. Masterchef meltdown as BBC asked John Torode to RESIGN over 'racist remark' before Gregg Wallace sacking 'But all of us are clear that we want to make sure we protect the BBC as a universal service and help it not just to survive, but thrive, for a generation and more.' Licence fee income increased slightly year on year, totalling £3.8bn in 2024-25. However, the small rise was down to the 6.7% inflationary increase in the fee to £169.50 a year. Advertisement 'The current collection method remains fair, effective, and good value for money,' the report said. 'As we approach the end of the charter, we will proactively research how we might reform the licence fee to secure the benefits of a well-resourced, universal BBC of scale for the long term.' 'Inappropriate behaviours' Today's report also features a column by Dr Shah in which he references the "profoundly shocking revelations" involving disgraced News At Ten anchor He announced in October the Beeb's board had commissioned an independent review into its "workplace culture". Advertisement It came in the wake of Edwards, as well as "several further cases of inappropriate behaviours and abuses of power", Dr Shah wrote. Top 10 earners at the BBC Gary Lineker - £1.35million Zoe Ball - £515,000 - cut from £950,000 Alan Shearer - £440,000 - up from £380,000 Greg James - £425,000 - up from £415,000 Fiona Bruce - £410,000 - up from £405,000 AND Nick Robinson - £410,000 - up from £345,000 Stephen Nolan - £405,000 Laura Kuenssberg - £395,000 - up from £325,000 Vernon Kay - £390,000 - up from £320,000 Justin Webb - £365,000 - up from £320,000 Naga Munchetty - £355,000 - up from £345,000 In his column, he added: "The first thing to say is that the BBC is a wonderful place to work. "Our staff are dedicated, hardworking and treat each other with respect. "However, there are pockets in the organisation where this is not the case. There are still places where powerful individuals - on and off-screen - can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable." Advertisement It comes after former MasterChef host Wallace launched The one-time greengrocer turned TV personality, 60, was axed after an The bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour and a further 10 were made about other people - Advertisement Davie was also asked today about whether Wallace's co-host John Torode The director-general said: "There has to be follow-up, so the BBC, in some ways, we're quite simple on this, if someone is found to not live up to the values we expect, the independent company, Banijay, in this case, to take action and report back to us on what they have done. "These aren't BBC employees, but we absolutely expect action to be taken, that's the first thing I'd say." 'Get a grip quicker' Last week BBC bosses were Advertisement Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes insisted there is a risk the public lose faith in the corporation if coverage isn't pulled swiftly and investigations are lengthy. The broadcaster had apologised after the band's lead singer chanted 'death, death' to Israeli defence forces during their festival set last month. The regulator also stepped in to launch a probe into Beeb doc Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, The BBC previously admitted to breaching their own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose this to viewers. Advertisement An independent probe into the documentary was commissioned by the broadcaster earlier this year. The broadcaster spent £400,000 of licence payers' cash making the doc, which was branded a propaganda show for the evil terror group Hamas, In a shocking revelation, the main narrator of the heart-tugging, supposedly factual exposé - 13-year-old Abdulla Eliyazour - was the son of senior Hamas official Dr Ayman Al-Yazouri. 6 Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, has seen his pay rise despite controversies Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 Punk Duo Bob Vylan during the controversial Glastonbury set on Saturday Credit: PA 6 Gregg said he was 'deeply sorry for any distress caused' Credit: Pixel8000 6 Disgraced former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards Credit: AFP
Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
BBC boss breaks silence on MasterChef's future after Gregg Wallace saga & John Torode asked to QUIT over ‘racist remark'
TIM Davie has broken his silence on MasterChef's future after the bombshell Gregg Wallace report - and John Torode's alleged racist remark. The investigation, which upheld 45 of 83 allegations against Wallace, 60, dropped yesterday. 1 John Torode confirmed he was one of the people mentioned in the report into Wallace's behaviour Credit: PA The dossier also upheld a complaint that an unnamed person used a racial phrase once several years ago. Torode confirmed to The Sun last night it referred to him, but said: 'I have absolutely no recollection of this, and I do not believe that it happened.' Speaking about whether MasterChef has a future, in light of the saga, Tim Davie said today: "I absolutely think it does, I think a great programme that's loved by audiences is much bigger than individuals. "It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we've got to make sure we're in the right place in terms of the culture of the show." The BBC Director General was also asked about whether Torode would remain on the show. "There has to be follow-up, so the BBC, in some ways, we're quite simple on this, if someone is found to not live up to the values we expect, the independent company, Banijay, in this case, to take action and report back to us on what they have done," he said. "These aren't BBC employees, but we absolutely expect action to be taken, that's the first thing I'd say." His statement comes in light of the BBC Annual Report published today. The scandal-hit BBC boss has been given a sizeable pay rise to earn £544,999 a year. The broadcaster's annual report revealed the Director-General's pay packet swelled by around £15,000 or 2.5% over the past 12 months - despite controversies including those involving Wallace, Bob Vylan and a Hamas documentary. Masterchef meltdown as BBC asked John Torode to RESIGN over 'racist remark' before Gregg Wallace sacking The Beeb is required to publish the pay and expenses for all senior leaders earning over £178,000 annually "in the BBC's public services", according to its report. Davie - who took up his current role in 2020 - was paid an estimated £529,999 in salary and taxable benefits in 2023-24. He insisted today: "I simply think I'm in a place where I can work to improve dramatically the BBC and lead it in the right way." Key points in the BBC Annual Report Gary Lineker has topped the list of highest earners for another year He was followed by Zoe Ball, who remains second best-paid at the Beeb despite her dramatic pay cut More than two thirds of the broadcaster's top 20 earners received pay rises BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty received a boost to her pay, but co-host Charlie Stayt's salary stayed the same Disgraced presenter Huw Edwards did not feature on the list after his exit from the broadcaster Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all He added: "We will make mistakes, but I think as a leadership and myself, I've been very clear, and I think we have been decisive. "There's enormous, massive noise and different opinions about what we should do, but I think we have been clear. "We are making the right decisions. We're being transparent on what we do, and I think that's what counts. "I would also say that under my tenure I've set a very clear stall out in terms of impartiality." Asked by The Sun why Davie had received a £15,000 bonus despite significant failures throughout the year, BBC's chair of the board Dr Samir Shah said: "His pay has been frozen since 2021 and I think that it is reasonable. "There is little doubt that Tim's pay is significantly under [the going rate]. "If you look at the figures, trust levels have gone up - if you look at the report, the actual performance of the BBC has been exceptional." He added: "I have no problems with awarding him with what is a very small bonus - which still ends up [with] his salary being significantly lower than any of his peers in the sector." It comes as departing Match of the Day host Gary Lineker ended his time with the Corporation by topping its pay league for the eighth consecutive year, raking in £1.35million. He ranked the top highest earner, closely followed by presenter Zoe Ball who takes home an eye-watering £515,000 a year. Alan Shearer, Greg James and Fiona Bruce were all in the top three earners. SCANDAL-HIT BBC The Annual Report and Tim Davie's pay rise comes after a tough year for the Beeb. It also featured a column by Dr Shah in which he referenced the "profoundly shocking revelations" involving disgraced News At Ten anchor Huw Edwards. Just yesterday bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, unveiled a litany of complaints against Gregg Wallace. The report found out of the 83 allegations against Wallace, 45 were substantiated. Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour. But, the investigation also looked at 10 complaints made about other people, from the period between 2012 to 2018/2019. Two were substantiated, relating to inappropriate language, one for swearing and the other for racist language. 'Lewis Silkin's findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals," stated the report. "The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. "This will be completed as a priority." Of the substantiated claims regarding Wallace, some related to other inappropriate language, being in a state of undress, and one case of unwanted physical contact. The report concluded 94 per cent of the allegations against Wallace related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018. There was one substantiated allegation after 2018. Meanwhile, Wallace's long-term MasterChef co-host John Torode last night confirmed he was accused of racism in the report. The BBC also told the presenter to pretend he had mental health issues after accusing him of racism, it was claimed. And, shockingly, sources said the BBC and production company Banijay asked John to resign from the beleaguered show last week and claim he had mental health problems — to which he refused. The findings of a separate inquiry into the BBC documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, were revealed. Ofcom has since confirmed it will be launching its own probe into the production. Earlier the BBC admitted to breaching their own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official. And, just last week BBC bosses were told to "get a grip quicker" after the live stream of punk rap duo Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set was left on air despite controversial comments which some interpreted as antisemitic. Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes insisted there is a risk the public lose faith in the corporation if coverage isn't pulled swiftly and investigations are lengthy. The broadcaster had apologised after the band's lead singer chanted 'death, death' to Israeli defence forces during their festival set last month.
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
BBC boss breaks silence on MasterChef's future after Gregg Wallace saga & John Torode asked to QUIT over ‘racist remark'
TIM Davie has broken his silence on MasterChef's future after the bombshell Gregg Wallace report - and John Torode's alleged racist remark. The investigation, which upheld 45 of 83 allegations against Wallace, 60, dropped yesterday. Advertisement 1 John Torode confirmed he was one of the people mentioned in the report into Wallace's behaviour Credit: PA Torode confirmed to The Sun last night it referred to him, but said: 'I have absolutely no recollection of this, and I do not believe that it happened.' Speaking about whether MasterChef has a future, in light of the saga, Tim Davie said today: "I absolutely think it does, I think a great programme that's loved by audiences is much bigger than individuals. "It absolutely can survive and prosper, but we've got to make sure we're in the right place in terms of the culture of the show." Advertisement Read More The BBC Director General was also asked about whether Torode would remain on the show. "There has to be follow-up, so the BBC, in some ways, we're quite simple on this, if someone is found to not live up to the values we expect, the independent company, Banijay, in this case, to take action and report back to us on what they have done," he said. "These aren't BBC employees, but we absolutely expect action to be taken, that's the first thing I'd say." His statement comes in light of the Advertisement Most read in News TV The scandal-hit BBC boss has been given The broadcaster's annual report revealed the Director-General's pay packet swelled by around £15,000 or 2.5% over the past 12 months - despite controversies including those involving Wallace, Bob Vylan and a Hamas documentary. Masterchef meltdown as BBC asked John Torode to RESIGN over 'racist remark' before Gregg Wallace sacking The Beeb is required to publish the pay and expenses for all senior leaders earning over £178,000 annually "in the BBC's public services", according to its report. Davie - who took up his current role in 2020 - was paid an estimated £529,999 in salary and taxable benefits in 2023-24. Advertisement He insisted today: "I simply think I'm in a place where I can work to improve dramatically the BBC and lead it in the right way." Key points in the BBC Annual Report Gary Lineker has He was followed by Zoe Ball, who remains second best-paid at the Beeb despite her dramatic pay cut More than two thirds of the broadcaster's top 20 earners received pay rises BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty received a boost to her pay, but co-host Charlie Stayt's salary stayed the same Disgraced presenter Huw Edwards did not feature on the list after his exit from the broadcaster Meanwhile the number of people paying for a TV licence fell by around 300,000 last year - almost two per cent in all He added: "We will make mistakes, but I think as a leadership and myself, I've been very clear, and I think we have been decisive. "There's enormous, massive noise and different opinions about what we should do, but I think we have been clear. Advertisement "We are making the right decisions. We're being transparent on what we do, and I think that's what counts. "I would also say that under my tenure I've set a very clear stall out in terms of impartiality." Asked by The Sun why Davie had received a £15,000 bonus despite significant failures throughout the year, BBC's chair of the board Dr Samir Shah said: "His pay has been frozen since 2021 and I think that it is reasonable. "There is little doubt that Tim's pay is significantly under [the going rate]. Advertisement "If you look at the figures, trust levels have gone up - if you look at the report, the actual performance of the BBC has been exceptional." He added: "I have no problems with awarding him with what is a very small bonus - which still ends up [with] his salary being significantly lower than any of his peers in the sector." It comes as departing Match of the Day host Gary Lineker ended his time with the Corporation by He ranked the top highest earner, closely followed by presenter Zoe Ball who takes home an eye-watering £515,000 a year. Advertisement Alan Shearer, Greg James and Fiona Bruce were all in the top three earners. SCANDAL-HIT BBC The Annual Report and Tim Davie's pay rise comes after a tough year for the Beeb. It also featured a column by Dr Shah in which he referenced the "profoundly shocking revelations" involving disgraced News At Ten anchor . Just yesterday bombshell inquiry, carried out by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay, unveiled Advertisement The report found out of the 83 allegations against Wallace, 45 were substantiated. Most of them involved inappropriate sexual language and humour. But, the investigation also looked at 10 complaints made about other people, from the period between 2012 to 2018/2019. Two were substantiated, relating to inappropriate language, one for swearing and the other for racist language. Advertisement 'Lewis Silkin's findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals," stated the report. "The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. "This will be completed as a priority." Of the substantiated claims regarding Wallace, some related to other inappropriate language, being in a state of undress, and one case of unwanted physical contact. Advertisement The report concluded 94 per cent of the allegations against Wallace related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018. There was one substantiated allegation after 2018. Meanwhile, Wallace's long-term MasterChef co-host John Torode last night confirmed he was accused of racism in the report. The BBC also told the presenter to Advertisement And, shockingly, sources said the BBC and production company Banijay asked John to resign from the beleaguered show last week and claim he had mental health problems — to which he refused. The findings of Ofcom has since confirmed it will be launching its own probe into the production. Earlier the BBC admitted to breaching their own editorial guidelines by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Advertisement And, just last week BBC bosses were Ofcom boss Dame Melanie Dawes insisted there is a risk the public lose faith in the corporation if coverage isn't pulled swiftly and investigations are lengthy. The broadcaster had apologised after the band's lead singer chanted 'death, death' to Israeli defence forces during their festival set last month.
