The BBC has formally begun the search for its next Director-General, with BBC chair Samir Shah confirming the process in an appearance before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Monday.
The corporation says candidates will be expected to have experience leading a creatively driven organisation and running a substantial enterprise in a fast-changing market, underlining the dual editorial and commercial pressures on the role.
One possibility is the restoration of a Deputy Director-General, a post last held between 2016 and 2019 by Anne Bulford.
Tim Davie announced his resignation as BBC Director-General on 9 November 2025 following controversy over the editing of a Panorama documentary on US President Donald Trump and wider issues on the BBC’s impartiality.
At the same session, Shah set out plans to tighten oversight of editorial standards, with a review of the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC) now being led by senior independent director Caroline Thomson. She has appointed former BBC executive and Cardiff University journalism professor Richard Sambrook as an external adviser.
The EGSC, a sub-committee of the BBC Board, is responsible for overseeing the corporation’s editorial standards and guidelines. The review will examine the committee’s powers and scope, its membership – including the role of external voices – and protocols around escalation and accountability to the Director-General and the Board. Business processes will also be assessed to ensure issues are dealt with clearly, efficiently and effectively.
Peter Johnston, Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, is working alongside Thomson and Sambrook to revisit all the issues raised in an email from former adviser Michael Prescott, assess whether previous EGSC-driven changes are having the intended impact, and ensure action is taken where any content falls short of BBC standards.
Thomson said impartiality and high editorial standards remained paramount for the BBC, and that her aim was to deliver recommendations that strengthen the committee’s effectiveness and support “open, robust discussion with clear conclusions from a broad range of voices”. Updates from the review will be presented to the BBC Board in December.
