Former Google executive Matt Brittin will replace Tim Davie as the director-general of the BBC following a series of scandals at the broadcaster.
The 57-year-old is a former McKinsey consultant who spent almost two decades at Google, becoming the company’s president in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, until he announced his decision to leave last year.
Mr Brittin takes on the role during a turbulent time for the BBC as it grapples with a billion dollar lawsuit from Donald Trump and the fallout over a racial slur being aired during the Bafta film awards.
Mr Davie resigned in November after it emerged the broadcaster had edited footage to make it look like the US President had encouraged supporters to ‘fight’ during the Capitol riots in 2021.
Mr Davie’s tenure was also marred by the resignation of Huw Edwards, a series of scandals on Strictly Come Dancing and outcry after punk-rock duo Bob Vylan chanted ‘death to the IDF’ live on air at Glastonbury last summer.
Mr Davie will be replaced by interim director-general, Rhodri Talfan Davies, on April 2, before Mr Brittin takes up the role on May 18. His salary will be £565,000.
Mr Brittin said: ‘Now, more than ever, we need a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complex, uncertain and fast changing world.
‘At its best, it shows us, and the world, who we are. It’s an extraordinary, uniquely British asset, with over 100 years of innovation in storytelling, technology and powering creativity.’
Former Google executive Matt Brittin will replace Tim Davie as the director-general of the BBC
Mr Davie, who had been in the role since 2020, announced his resignation in November last year
Mr Brittin was selected as a member of the British Olympic rowing team in Seoul 1988 and won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in 1989.
The Cambridge alumnus also rowed in the 1987, 1988 and 1989 Boat Races.
He was made a CBE in the King’s New Year Honours list earlier this year for his services to technology and the enhancement of digital skills.
He will also be appointing a Deputy Director-General, the BBC said.
Following Mr Davie’s resignation in November, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for ‘wholesale change’ at the BBC.
The corporation had already been under pressure after admitting it broke editorial guidelines when Bob Vylan’s ‘deeply-offensive’ chant of ‘death to the IDF’ at Glastonbury was broadcast live to millions.
There was a nationwide backlash to the set which also saw Vylan use the term ‘f****** Zionists’.
The band’s frontman, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, even claimed that BBC staff on the ground at the event told him that they ‘loved’ his set, and called it ‘fantastic’.
Mr Davie was forced to apologise to the Commons’ culture select committee, and told staff the broadcast was ‘deeply offensive’ and ‘totally unacceptance’.
His tenure was also plagued by an antisemitism row involving Gary Lineker.
The former Match of the Day presenter was axed in May last year after 26 years following a row over an Instagram story he shared about Zionism which featured a rat – an antisemitic trope used by the Nazis to characterise Jews as vermin.
Lineker had previously come under fire after refusing to apologise for comparing the then Tory government’s rhetoric over its immigration policy to that of Nazi Germany.
The BBC also admitted its controversial documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, breached its editorial guidelines by failing to disclose that the narrator was the son of a senior Hamas official.
Meanwhile, the previous year the BBC came under scrutiny after allegations emerged Huw Edwards had paid a teenager more than £35,000 for explicit images.
The BBC News presenter was later given a suspended sentence for possessing indecent images of children in September 2024 in an unrelated case.
A series of scandals have also unfolded on Strictly Come Dancing including allegations Amanda Abbington’s dance partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive to her during rehearsals, which he denies.
Bob Vylan performs onstage at Glastonbury in Somerset during summer last year
Mr Brittin is pictured with Prince William in November 2017
Following his departure, Mr Davie said: ‘I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years. This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days.
‘I am working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.’
Samir Shah, Chairman of the BBC Board, welcomed the appointment of Mr Brittin this afternoon.
He said: ‘Matt brings to the BBC deep experience of leading a high-profile and highly complex organisation through transformation.
‘He is an outstanding leader and has the skills needed to navigate the organisation through the many changes taking place in the media market and in audience behaviours.
‘Matt’s passion for the BBC, his understanding of the challenges facing the organisation, his commitment to its independence and his determination to maintain the BBC’s position as one of the country’s greatest national assets were critical factors in the Board’s decision to appoint him as the 18th Director-General.
‘Matt joins the BBC at a critical time. The Government’s review of the Charter is underway, and it is clear there is need for radical reform of the BBC, its funding model and the framework in which it operates.
‘The stakes for the BBC, and the future of public service broadcasting, have never been higher.
‘The Board and I believe Matt is the right person to lead the BBC as it fights for a sustainable future in an uncertain world, for the benefit of audiences and the UK.’
Head of Bectu, the UK trade union that represents people working in media and arts, Philippa Childs, said Mr Brittin’s appointment comes ‘at a vital juncture for the BBC’s future as it moves through the Charter renewal process’.
‘We wish him every success in challenging times for the corporation.
‘As the BBC seeks to meet the challenge of a changing media landscape and ensure secure funding for the future, it needs someone who is dedicated to its founding principles to inform, entertain and educate, and who will defend it when it comes under attack.
‘The BBC is the jewel in the crown of the UK’s soft power, providing unbiased news and distinctive British content that is the envy of the world.
‘It is also an integral part of the UK’s wider creative industries ecosystem, and managing competing priorities across the corporation will be a real challenge.
‘Bectu continues to enjoy a constructive and open relationship with the outgoing Director General, and we look forward to this continuing with Matt Brittin.
‘Bectu members, both employed and freelance, play a key part in the BBC’s work and we are committed to ensuring that its future is secure and guaranteed.’
