Alan Yentob: Influential BBC executive undone by Kids Company scandal
He joined the BBC in 1968 as a trainee at the World Service where he worked his way through the ranks to become the corporation's head of music and arts in 1985.
Alan Yentob and Philippa Walker at a ceremony to celebrate the wedding of Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall (John Stillwell/PA)
In 1987 he was promoted to controller of BBC2 where he revitalised the channel by commissioning hugely successful shows such as Absolutely Fabulous, starring Jennifer Saunders and Dame Joanna Lumley, arts series The Late Show and comedy quiz show, Have I Got News For You.
In 1993 he became the official controller of BBC1. His drama commissions ranged from Middlemarch and Pride And Prejudice – which made actor Colin Firth a heartthrob – to Ballykissangel, while wielding an axe to the failing Spain-set soap Eldorado.
He also presented shows for the BBC, including a series on the life of artist Leonardo da Vinci, starring Sir Mark Rylance, and a regular arts series, Imagine, from 2003.
Artist Marina Abramovic, novelist Bernardine Evaristo and Oscar-winning actor Marlon Brando were among the famous faces who had episodes devoted to their lives and careers.
The King then Prince of Wales, speaking to Alan Yentob at the Dominion Theatre in London (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Yentob was appointed creative director, to oversee the BBC's creative strategy, in 2004 and he also served as chairman of the board of trustees for Kids Company, founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh, from 2003 until the collapse of the charity in 2015.
Yentob faced scrutiny over his role as well as claims he tried to influence coverage at the corporation of its troubles.
He always insisted there was no conflict of interest in his decision to call Newsnight about its investigation into Kids Company and had not 'abused my position at the BBC'.
He is said to have phoned the BBC Two programme in July 2015 as it prepared to broadcast a report suggesting the government would withhold further funding unless its founder, Ms Batmanghelidjh, stood down.
The charity folded on August 5 2015 just six days after receiving a £3 million grant in a final bid to keep it afloat.
Alan Yentob attending a VIP screening of The Beatles: Get Back (Yui Mok/PA)
In December that year Yentob stepped down from his job at the BBC, saying the speculation over his conduct had been 'proving a serious distraction'.
Also in 2015, Yentob was awarded £85,000 in phone-hacking damages from Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
In spite of the Kids Company controversy, he continued to present programmes for the BBC, interviewing figures including Sir Stephen Fry and Bob Geldof.
In a BBC Two programme in 2024 he spoke to author Sir Salman Rushdie about the devastating effects of the onstage knife attack that left him blind in one eye.
Yentob was married to TV producer Philippa Walker and the couple had two children together.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from De Montfort University, Leicester, in 2005 and in 2024 he was formally made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ozzy Osbourne documentary mysteriously pulled from BBC schedule at last minute
A special documentary detailing the late Ozzy Osbourne's final months has been pulled from BBC's schedule, and has been replaced with a new programme A special documentary that is a "moving and inspirational account of the last chapter" of Ozzy Osbourne 's life has mysteriously been rescheduled without explanation. Titled Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, the programme was due to air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this evening at 9pm, and is told through "unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family", including wife Sharon, and children Kelly and Jack. However, the one-off, hour-long documentary, which was announced at the start of this month, has now vanished from BBC TV listings and instead been replaced by Fake or Fortune. A spokesperson for the BBC told the Mirror today that the "film has moved in the schedules" and new premiere details will be shared "in due course". Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy died aged 76 on July 22 from a reported heart attack, just weeks after reuniting with the band on stage as part of The Back To The Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham. It comes after Sharon Osbourne breaks down in tears at Ozzy's funeral in heartbreaking scenes. The programme has been filmed over three years and "captures the extraordinary rollercoaster of their lives" as the Ozzy and Sharon "attempt to complete their long-held dream of moving back to the UK", the BBC said earlier this month when promoting the documentary. It also captures musician Ozzy as he "heroically battles to get fit enough to perform" and the family dealing with "the dramatic consequences of his ill health", with Kelly quoted as saying in the film: "Iron Man wasn't really made of iron." The rocker had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. Clare Sillery, head of commissioning, BBC Documentaries, said on August 7: "We are honoured to have had the opportunity to film with Ozzy and his family. The film captures an intimate glimpse into their journey as they prepare to return to the UK. "It features family moments, humour, reflection and shows the enduring spirit that made Ozzy a global icon. We hope it brings comfort and joy to Ozzy's fans and viewers as they remember and celebrate his extraordinary life." Ben Wicks and Colin Barr, executive producers at production company Expectation, added: "It was an incredible privilege to spend the last few years with Ozzy , as well as Sharon, Jack and Kelly. Ozzy wanted to make it back to the UK and appear on stage one last time – our film is an inspiring and poignant account of him fulfilling that dream. "Ozzy was loved by millions around the world not just for his music, but for his sense of mischief and his honesty, all of which we saw plenty of in the final years of his life. But one thing shone through even more brightly to us, and that was Ozzy's intense love for his exceptional family who were by his side through it all." The film was originally conceived as a series, announced in 2022 and called Home To Roost, and which was to document Ozzy and Sharon's move back from the US, where they had lived for more than two decades, to rural Buckinghamshire. But the project "evolved as Ozzy's health deteriorated" into the one-hour film, the BBC said. Last month, fans gathered alongside Ozzy's family to pay tribute to the star as a funeral cortege travelled through Birmingham. Sharon and the couple's children could be seen wiping away tears when they arrived at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers were left. Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse as it slowly passed through the city.
Wales Online
4 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Gritty Welsh crime thriller with Downton Abbey and The Crown stars promises gripping drama
Gritty Welsh crime thriller with Downton Abbey and The Crown stars promises gripping drama Reach Screen Time spoke exclusively to the lead stars of Mudtown about your next big watch Downton Abbey's Tom Cullen plays Saint Pete in Mudtown A gritty new TV drama will be hitting screens this month, serving up audiences a compelling story filled with tension and conflict. The show comes as another mystery thriller will be arriving later this year. Mudtown is set in Newport, Wales and follows magistrate Claire Lewis Jones (played by Erin Richards), who is thrown into a quandary when the daughter of a childhood friend is brought in on arson charges. Claire quickly finds her personal and professional lives colliding as she tries to preside over the case. To add another layer of complication, former flame and local gangster Saint Pete (Tom Cullen) turns up in Claire's life again, enlisting her help in the courtroom. She will be left torn over divided loyalties and making sure justice is served. Mudtown was co-created by Keeping Faith actor and writer Hannah Daniels alongside real-life magistrate Georgia Lee. In an exclusive interview with Reach Screen Time, lead stars Cullen and Richards opened up about signing onto the series. Article continues below The Crown star Erin Richards leads Mudtown (Image: UKTV) Cullen admitted he'd been highly tentative about taking on the role of crime lord Saint Pete, despite portraying real-life gangster Johnny Palmer in BBC's The Gold. He said: 'On a personal level, Pete is a character that I've never really got to play before and when they offered it to me, I was absolutely terrified and confused as to why they wanted me to play this character. 'And I was absolutely terrified of the prospect of playing because I thought it was way beyond my reach, capabilities as an actor and for that reason, also, I decided to do it, to scare myself.' Addressing why he wanted to do Mudtown, Cullen explained: Lots attracted me to the show. Just on a script-level, I found it really interesting. 'I thought that its themes really resonated with me and the socio-political aspect to it about the choices we make and what choices do we have when we grow up in certain areas, and the different paths a certain decision can make, I found that really interesting. I also thought that the characters were so complex.' He said he was also drawn to the project because of the chance to work in his home nation of Wales, which he rarely got to do and 'work with friends' he'd 'known for years', describing it as a 'joyous experience'. Tom Cullen admitted he was terrified of his Mudtown role (Image: UKTV) While The Crown and Gotham star Richards admitted she had similar reasons for signing onto Mudtown, admitting she was also drawn to the opportunity to work in Wales as well as the chance to be close to her family. 'It was such a dream and it was the first job I did since having my son, who is now two-and-a-half, but was one, and just the ability to come home every night and see him and sleep in my own bed, and travel to Newport which is somewhere I've never been before but obviously visited a lot,' she said. Richards and Cullen have known each other for years after making a film together when they were just 16, which she admitted enhanced their onscreen chemistry and altered her performance. The star said: 'I had a specific idea of who Claire was and I was playing her a certain way, and then when I would do the scenes with Tom, she would like change a little bit and I didn't plan for that to happen. 'But I think just because of the history that Tom and I have and how much we know about each other, it really reflected how Claire and Saint Pete were together. It was a really dynamic we had as friends but also had as characters.' Erin Richards plays a magistrate in legal drama Mudtown (Image: UKTV) The series was shot consecutively in English and Welsh, like many Welsh productions including the aforementioned Keeping Faith and The Light in the Hall. Shooting back-to-back in the two languages meant the Welsh-speaking cast would start off in one language for a scene and then flip to the other language for the next scene depending on the shot. Richards admitted: 'It was a real mind-bending thing at the beginning, but then halfway through I got used to it and my brain would just do it and click into place.' The actress prepared for the role by sitting in at magistrates courts in both Cardiff and Newport, learning how it worked and admitted she was 'surprised' that more shows about the court hadn't been made. Addressing the possibility of a second season, Richards teased: 'I think the final episode, the final scene leaves it open to another series. I would love to do one. Cullen added: 'I'd love to do one. We'll see how it goes, fingers crossed.' Article continues below Mudtown is available on U&alibi from August 29 at 9pm, available on Sky, Virgin Media and NOW
Wales Online
4 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Gardeners' World tragedies from Monty Don's personal loss to cancer heartbreak
Gardeners' World tragedies from Monty Don's personal loss to cancer heartbreak The show provides an oasis of calm to viewers wanting respite from a chaotic world, but it too is not immune from heartbreaking events Monty Don has been the face of Gardeners' World for 22 years (Image: Alexandra Henderson/AHA Productions Ltd) Gardeners' World is fronted by 70-year-old horticultural expert Monty Don, who has been the beloved face of the BBC show since 2003 when he took over from Alan Titchmarsh. While the plant-loving presenter and dog enthusiast routinely shares updates about life's finer aspects, such as cultivating plants and vegetables, a number of personal struggles have affected the host in recent times. Covid setbacks Back in 2023, Monty provided an update after being struck down by a "terrible" illness twice, which prompted an outpouring of concern from his devoted following. He contracted Covid, informing his social media audience: "That would explain why I have felt terrible for the past couple of days." This was the second time Monty had contracted the virus, having previously been bedridden for four days, when he shared with supporters: "Boy, doesn't it knock you sideways – utterly exhausting." The presenter adores Ned, his Golden Retriever (Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images) Sensory issues While on a trip to Greece with friends this year, Monty realised his sense of smell wasn't as good as that of his comrades. And he was not alone – his wife Sarah's ability for smell had been "dramatically affected" since the Covid outbreak. He told the Gardeners' World Magazine podcast: "Perfume is almost lost on me, occasionally my wife has said, 'Which perfume do you prefer?' and they're both exactly the same to me, or the difference is so small that's it's not interesting. So clearly that's a lack, but there's nothing I can do about it." Article continues below Heartfelt goodbye Earlier this year, Monty was inundated with messages of support following his emotional farewell to a "dear friend", reports the Express. He revealed his companion's death on Instagram, penning a touching tribute. He said: "The end of a profoundly moving and celebratory day saying goodbye to a dear friend - all done in magnificent style. I think Rosie would have approved." Prior to his loss, he also spoke about how gardening can provide solace during times of loss in a BBC Radio 4 interview. He said: "One of the things that has always moved me, and this has often been said by people who are grieving, is that the rhythm of the seasons is a huge comforter. In the bleakest midwinter, you trust that spring will come, that the blossom will appear." Article continues below Cancer diagnosis Never did Monty's words ring true than on this tender moment involving a Gardeners' World contributor named Steve. He recently revealed his devastating terminal cancer diagnosis on the show alongside his wife, Pippa. Audiences were reduced to tears as Steve disclosed it might be "two months or two years, possibly" before his death. Despite this, his positive attitude has remained intact, with Steve describing his cancer as a "new challenge" during the poignant episode that broadcast earlier this month. Watch Gardeners' World on BBC Two and on the BBC iPlayer
