The BBC has confirmed that Tim Davie will leave the board as director general in April, following his resignation last November. Former BBC director of nations Rhodri Talfan Davies will take over as interim director general and the process to appoint a replacement is under way.
“There will be a time to celebrate Tim and thank him for his extraordinary contribution to the BBC nearer his departure date,” wrote BBC Chair Samir Shah in a note to staff. “Until then, Tim continues to lead the corporation through this critical period as we prepare our response to the government’s consultation on its Green Paper on the future of the BBC Charter.”
He described Rhodri as “an outstanding leader who brings deep editorial experience and a passionate commitment to the power of public service broadcasting to reach and represent audiences across all parts of the UK”. Currently on secondment in a role exploring generative artificial intelligence, he will join the BBC board as an executive director as he prepares to take on the responsibilities of interim director general.
As director of nations, Davies had responsibility for nations and local audiences in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Born in Cardiff, He was previously director of BBC Cymru Wales, of which his father was a former controller. From grammar school he gained a degree in history at Oxford and went on to study journalism at Cardiff University.
His interim appointment comes at a time that the BBC will be negotiating its future as the government reviews future funding options. The current BBC charter is due to expire at the end of 2027.
Speaking to The Guardian, Tim Davie said the BBC will face “profound jeopardy” over its future unless it embraces significant changes to its funding. He has opposed the idea of advertising or subscription, or to splitting up the BBC by genre. “That would be the end of public service broadcasting,” he said.
The BBC chair Samir Shar has previously suggested switching to a household levy that could be collected through council tax.
Tim Davie resigned in November 2025 in the fallout over the editing of a Panorama programme that led to a defamation lawsuit for $5 billion from President Trump, which the BBC is seeking to have thrown out.
The search for his replacement continues.