The Beeb
- Thread starter Diogenes
- Start date
Here are major BBC scandals, in chronological order:
- 1950s Payola-style corruption – Senior executives took secret payments from record companies to push certain songs on air.
- 1960s–1980s Jimmy Savile sexual abuse cover-up – Over 450 victims, decades of rape and assault on BBC premises; multiple internal warnings ignored. Exposed 2011–2012.
- 1970s–1990s Stuart Hall abuse – Veteran presenter admitted 14 assaults on girls as young as 9; jailed 2013.
- 2001 Martin Bashir Diana interview deception – Used forged bank statements and lies to secure the 1995 Panorama interview. BBC covered it up for 25 years; 2021 Dyson report called it “deceitful.”
- 2004 Sexed-up Iraq dossier (Gilligan “45 minutes” claim) – Today programme claimed Blair govt “sexed up” WMD evidence. Led to Dr David Kelly suicide and Hutton Inquiry whitewash.
- 2007–2008 Phone-in and competition scandals – Fake winners on Blue Peter, Comic Relief, Children in Need, Liz Kershaw show, etc. BBC fined £400k+ by Ofcom.
- 2008 Russell Brand & Jonathan Ross “Sachsgate” – Left obscene messages on Andrew Sachs’s answerphone about his granddaughter. 38,000 complaints; both suspended.
- 2011 Newsnight drops Savile exposé – Editor Peter Rippon killed the investigation weeks before tribute shows aired. Dame Janet Smith review later found BBC “completely incapable” of dealing with Savile.
- 2012 George Entwistle resignation – DG lasted 54 days after Newsnight wrongly implicated Lord McAlpine in child abuse smear. Paid £450k payoff.
- 2013 £100m Digital Media Initiative scrapped – Total write-off of failed in-house tech project.
- 2016 Cliff Richard raid – BBC helicopter filmed police raid live; Richard sued and won £2m+ in damages for privacy invasion.
- 2020 Naga Munchetty impartiality row – Initially reprimanded for criticising Trump’s racism comments, then ruling overturned after staff backlash.
- 2021 Princess Diana interview payouts – BBC secretly paid £1.5m+ to Diana’s staff to keep quiet about Bashir forgeries.
- 2023 Gary Lineker “Nazis” tweet – Compared UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany; briefly suspended, then reinstated after presenter boycott.
- 2023 Huw Edwards scandal – Arrested for child pornography images; BBC knew about earlier allegations but kept him on air until July 2023.
- 2024–2025 Giovanni Pernice & Graziano Di Prima Strictly bullying/abuse – Multiple professional dancers accused of gross misconduct; Amanda Abbington PTSD claim; BBC paid six-figure settlements.
- 2025 Jermaine Jenas sexting scandal – Fired in August 2024 after sending unsolicited messages to female staff; BBC initially kept quiet.
- Ongoing equal pay cases – Samira Ahmed won £340k, Carrie Gracie £361k, dozens more pending; BBC spent £20m+ fighting its own journalists.
- Ongoing local radio cuts & bias complaints – 2024–2025 saw record impartiality rulings against BBC News for pro-Palestinian coverage, anti-Brexit bias, and climate alarmism.
He just wants to recover his damages. Maybe the BBC will pay for the Big Beautiful Ballroom.
He could make it bigger
Don't be silly.
President Trump's legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter on November 9, 2025, demanding a full retraction, apology, and damages by November 14, 2025, or face a defamation lawsuit. The claim alleges the edit was "malicious, disparaging, and inflammatory," designed to interfere in the 2024 election by portraying Trump as responsible for the Capitol riot.
The BBC has stated it will review and respond directly.
If filed in a U.S. court, the case would proceed as a defamation suit under American civil law, where it is rare for public figures to prevail in defamation actions.
Contrast this with UK civil law (governed by the Defamation Act 2013 for England and Wales): The burden flips, with the defendant (the BBC) needing to prove truth, honest opinion, or public interest, making it plaintiff-friendly. Claimants win about 70-80% of libel trials, per historical data. No constitutional free speech override exists; instead, the Human Rights Act 1998 balances Article 10 (expression) against reputational harm, but courts often prioritize the latter. Procedure is more judge-led and inquisitorial.
In summary, U.S. law shields the BBC with speech protections, capping Trump's leverage at a potential settlement; UK law exposes it.
I hope that President Trump sues the BBC for a billion dollars.
This so called news source is sick and morally depraved.
Cálmese, señor Tigre. El Presidente solo exige una disculpa pública y una retractación.
They are all, Earl.