The chairman of the BBC, Samir Shah, is facing a severe leadership crisis following a disastrous appearance before MPs where his performance was branded 'wishy-washy' and failing to inspire confidence.
A Damning Verdict from Parliament
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chief of parliament's culture, media and sport committee, delivered a scathing assessment of Mr Shah's leadership after his Monday hearing. She openly questioned whether the BBC board was in 'safe hands' following his handling of the fallout from an internal report on impartiality, which led to the resignations of director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
The MP criticised Mr Shah's evasive answers, particularly regarding the BBC's delayed apology for a Panorama programme that used a misleading edit of a Donald Trump speech. This error has prompted a $5 billion lawsuit threat from the former US president. 'It was quite difficult to get a straight answer to those questions,' Dame Caroline stated.
Mounting Pressure and External Criticism
Despite the public flogging, the 73-year-old chairman insisted he would not 'walk away' from his role, vowing to 'steady the ship and put it on an even keel'. He also defended the resignations of senior staff, stating he did not believe Mr Davie should have stepped down and calling Ms Turness's resignation an 'honourable and proper act'.
However, the criticism extends beyond the committee room. The head of Ofcom, Dame Melanie Dawes, remarked that there were 'serious issues recently with editorial decision making' at the corporation. Simultaneously, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith suggested Mr Shah emerged from the hearing not as 'a chairman who was very in control' and that he should 'think very hard about whether this is a job for him'.
What Happens Next for the BBC?
Dame Caroline acknowledged the precarious position the BBC now finds itself in, lacking both a chairman and a director-general. She indicated that while someone must lead the search for new leadership, the committee was not convinced of the board's capability. The ultimate decision on replacing Mr Shah, however, will fall to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, once a new director-general is appointed.
Mr Shah, a former television executive, was appointed by Rishi Sunak's government in 2024 for a four-year term and receives an annual salary of £160,000. His immediate focus remains on finding a successor to Tim Davie and navigating the BBC through one of its most turbulent periods in recent history.
