14 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Victoria Derbyshire, 1 of nan BBC’s astir salient news presenters, was nan taxable of a workplace behaviour investigation complete her interactions pinch aggregate colleagues.
Deadline understands that nan BAFTA-winning Newsnight big faced a number of complaints pursuing nan completion of nan BBC’s 2025 workplace civilization review, which encouraged unit to telephone retired alleged misconduct.
A root said Derbyshire was accused of making immoderate off-air colleagues uncomfortable pinch her reside and language. The presenter is said to person rejected this accusation, but accepted that she tin beryllium nonstop and exacting nether nan unit of a newsroom environment.
It is understood that Derbyshire strenuously denied immoderate characterization of her behaviour arsenic bullying. The BBC probe is not thought to person upheld immoderate allegation of bullying, but a personification acquainted pinch nan process said it was imaginable Derbyshire was fixed a informing astir her behaviour pursuing nan conclusion of nan investigation.
Derbyshire declined to comment. A BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not remark connected individual cases, we return each complaints astir behaviour astatine activity highly earnestly and will not tolerate behaviour that is not successful statement pinch our values.”
Derbyshire, who earns up to £280,000 ($374,000) a year, is renowned astatine nan BBC for having precocious standards — and being unafraid to definitive these standards to colleagues. “She’s very exacting. Nobody likes to beryllium criticised, but if you’ve done s**t work, Victoria will telephone you retired connected it,” was really 1 state described her approach.
Sources said a PwC consultant, seconded to nan BBC’s HR team, was progressive successful nan investigation, during which complainants were interviewed. Complainants received an email successful March notifying them that their concerns had been heard, examined, and taken earnestly by nan BBC.
The individuals concerned were not told if their complaints had been upheld aliases dismissed. Those who raised concerns are said to beryllium dissatisfied pinch nan outcome.
A well-placed root said nan conclusion of nan investigation fell short of recommendations successful nan BBC civilization review, which stated that “increased transparency” astir title outcomes was required to “rebuild spot and confidence” successful nan BBC’s handling of concerns.
The BBC’s position is that policies and principles are applied consistently, sloppy of an individual’s role, seniority aliases status. The BBC is bound by duties of confidentiality and information privacy, which intends it does not ever stock nan result of an investigation and immoderate guidance action that whitethorn person been taken.
The BBC’s leaders person many times made clear that they person “zero tolerance” for behaviour that falls beneath expectations, though nan civilization reappraisal concluded that nan corp does not person a toxic workplace.
Derbyshire, who appeared connected ITV reality bid I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! successful 2020, has often been astatine nan forefront of awesome stories for nan BBC during her 30-year profession astatine nan corporation.
She hosted nan award-winning Ukrainecast podcast, which launched aft Russia’s penetration successful 2022. Derbyshire secured a UK exclusive question and reply pinch rape subsister Gisèle Pelicot successful February, while for a Newsnight typical successful March, she interviewed 5 women who knowledgeable intersexual maltreatment astatine nan hands of Jeffrey Epstein.
Derbyshire has antecedently reported connected antheral maltreatment survivors successful master shot and UK grooming pack victims. In 2023, Deadline revealed really Derbyshire was examining nan behaviour of her erstwhile BBC News workfellow Huw Edwards successful nan days earlier The Sun made explosive claims astir nan newsreader allegedly paying a teen for definitive images.
