London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Fran Unsworth, BBC’s director of news, expected to leave corporation

Fran Unsworth, BBC’s director of news, expected to leave corporation

Unsworth has held her position at the national broadcaster since January 2018, overseeing all its current affairs output
The BBC’s director of news, Fran Unsworth, is expected to leave the corporation, sources at the broadcaster have told the Guardian.

Amid worsening relations with the government and internal battles over a staff reorganisation, Unsworth is soon expected to announce retirement plans.

Unsworth, a lifelong BBC employee, has held almost every senior position in BBC News including the top news job at the national broadcaster since January 2018, overseeing its news and current affairs output. She is one of a handful of senior executives who sits on the BBC board, the organisation responsible for setting the corporation’s overall strategy.

She is due to address staff on Tuesday afternoon about BBC News’ ongoing restructure and job cuts, which will see many journalism roles moved outside London and other staff taking redundancy. The process was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving many anxious staff unsure of their positions for more than a year.

Unsworth, 63, did not make any reference to her own future in an email to staff but said she would update them on “timings for when we expect the new model to be in place, and discuss how the introduction of hybrid working will work alongside our modernisation plans”. A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment on “speculation” about her future.

During the first half of her stint as director of news, Unsworth found herself thrust into a brewing culture war. She dealt with the fallout of the Brexit referendum, criticism from Labour supporters that the BBC was undermining former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and attacks from an emboldened Conservative government who felt the BBC’s output was too leftwing.

During the second half, she has overseen the BBC’s coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, keeping output on air as audiences turned to the corporation’s news services during lockdowns.

In July, the Financial Times reported that Robbie Gibb, Theresa May’s former communications director, had texted Unsworth in an attempt to interfere in an internal appointments process.

Unsworth has said she is committed to a traditional view of the need for impartiality in BBC news’ output. She told the Observer last year: “We have just got to keep restating our case that we will listen to everybody, serve everybody and host everybody, but not be bullied by either side. We don’t get it right all the time, obviously, and people can be unhappy with what we do, and that is fine.

“Under our charter, the job is to provide impartial news without fear or favour, and not to be beholden to commercial or political interests.”

Her expected departure comes as the BBC is in negotiations with the ministers over the future of the licence fee for the next five years. Government sources have briefed that the BBC will have to deal with further real-terms reduction in income, raising the possibility of more spending cuts and further reductions in BBC output.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×