Bloodbath at BBC as chief quits: Sensation as Director General is forced out for 'shoddy journalism' - and more tipped to go

The director-general of the BBC sensationally quit tonight in the aftermath of the scandalous Newsnight report smearing senior Tory Lord McAlpine over false child sex abuse claims. George Entwistle announced his resignation 12 hours after he was humiliated in a BBC interview by John Humphrys over his handling of the issue

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BBC director general George Entwistle (left) stands alongside Chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten as he announced his resignation over the 'unacceptable' Newsnight broadcast which wrongly implicated a senior former Conservative in a child abuse scandal

In a dramatic statement at 9pm last night, Mr Entwistle resigned following pressure from senior Government sources and from within the BBC itself. He said he was doing the ‘honourable thing’ by standing down from his £450,000-a-year job – just seven weeks after taking it up. In a statement delivered on the steps of New Broadcasting House, he said: ‘In the light of the fact that the director-general is also the editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for all content; and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday November 2, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to

In a brief statement Mr Entwistle said that he had decided to do the 'honourable thing' and step down from his post

Lord Chris Patten, Chairman of the BBC Trust, who oversaw the appointment of Mr Entwistle, appeared alongside the now former Director-General

'The wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader. To have been the director-general of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour. While there is understandable public concern over a number of issues well covered in the media – which I’m confident will be addressed by the review process – we must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity. That’s what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world.’

BBC chairman Lord Patten said Mr Entwistle had no choice but to go because of ‘shoddy journalism’ by the BBC. Standing alongside Mr Entwistle, the grim-faced Tory peer said: ‘This is one of the saddest evenings of my public life,’ adding that the BBC had failed in its role as a ‘trusted global news organisation.’

Lord Patten left little doubt that Mr Entwistle had no choice but to step down. He said: ‘George has very honourably offered his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes and unacceptably shoddy journalism which has caused so much controversy.’ He added pointedly: ‘It’s a real tragedy that he was overwhelmed, as we all were, before he was able to act in way that was clearly necessary.’ Last night, John Humphrys said he was shocked to hear of George Entwistle’s resignation.

George Entwistle embarked on a crushing round of interviews in the wake of the Newsnight scandal, which included Sky, BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 and Radio Five Live

Steven Messham (left) accused a senior Tory of repeatedly abusing him in the 1970s at a Welsh care home. Lord McAlpine (right) has since been forced to issue an statement denying that he is the Tory

Mr Entwistle was interviewed live on BBC's Breakfast programme minutes after appearing on Radio 4's Today show

ENTWISTLE'S HISTORY AT BBC

The former director of BBC Vision, who launched The Culture Show and edited Newsnight, was rejected by two BBC graduate training schemes before finally getting a foot in the door.

He told the Radio Times magazine that he had been fascinated by culture and international politics from a young age, saying: 'I would go to my bedroom and listen to Kaleidoscope and The World Tonight.

'I think my parents thought it was a bit strange. But these programmes laid a foundation...'

He added: "There has barely been a morning - with the exception of holidays - since I was aware of what was going on in the world, that I haven't listened to the Today programme.'

In his first full day running Newsnight the September 11 terror attacks took place.

'It's awful, in these tragic human events journalists can't quite get the excitement out of their voice about how it felt,' he said.

The BBC Radio 4 presenter said: ‘I don’t really want to make any comment at this stage. Everything is too difficult.’ Mr Entwistle’s position crumbled after a humiliating grilling by Mr Humphrys yesterday, during which he admitted he had not watched the original film and had been oblivious to widespread doubts about its credibility until just before Friday night’s abject on-air apology. His resignation could prompt a bloodbath at the Corporation after sources at the highest level of Government told The Mail on Sunday they believed the positions of several other BBC executives were also untenable. They are: head of news, Helen Boaden; Newsnight editor Peter Rippon, who vetoed an exposé of Jimmy Savile; and controller of Radio 5 Live Adrian van Klaveren, who was the executive overseeing Newsnight when the McAlpine programme aired.

 

Grilling: Veteran BBC presenter John Humphrys laid into his own boss live on Radio 4's Today programme

Nightmare: Bryn Estyn in Wrexham, where a number of children were abused and raped. Peter Howarth, the former Deputy Head of the home was jailed in 1994 for ten years of abusing boys

Mr Entwistle said Newsnight, presented by Jeremy Paxman, won't be dropped because of the scandal

A senior Government source said: ‘Boaden and Rippon are equally culpable and other heads may have to roll.’ BBC Radio  2’s Jeremy Vine tweeted: ‘George #Entwistle was my editor on Newsnight in 2000 and even if this is the right decision, he is a person of huge integrity & intelligence.’ The BBC was forced to apologise to Lord McAlpine, a friend and ally of Margaret Thatcher, after claims made by BBC 2’s current affairs flagship concerning a paedophile ring at children’s homes in North Wales in the Seventies. As a result of the programme, Lord McAlpine was wrongly named on the internet as the Tory politician referred to, but not directly named, by Newsnight. He has vowed to sue for libel over the film.

As from tomorrow, the acting director-general will be Tim Davie, the Corporation’s current director of audio and music who is due to take the reins of the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, from December 1. Former Tory Minister David Mellor said of Mr Entwistle: ‘He came across as so out of touch, it made me think Winnie the Pooh would have been more effective.’

 Source: Daily Mail UK  

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